DA hypocritical when it comes to raising taxes

MMUSI Maimane and the DA are committed to fighting the VAT increase, stating that it “is a crime against our people, it is people paying taxes for the ANC’s mismanagement”.

However, it seems that the DA’s approach is that increasing taxes is wrong only when the ANC does it.

The DA-run City of Joburg’s proposed new property valuations would in fact be doing the very same thing – punishing residents and business owners for the city’s past mismanagement (“Valuations to squeeze residents out of their homes”, The Star on Monday).

In some cases, the proposed rates hike would see businesses go from paying R3 850 to R22 000 a month in rates, which could well lead to some businesses having to shut down.

The costs are simply far too great for businesses to reclaim by putting up the price of their own services.

Residents will also be affected; they will not only have to pay the increased VAT, but also find the additional money to meet their increased rates bill, too.

This burden will probably be felt more by older people. In some cases, they will no longer be entitled to the rate rebate because their properties will be of too great a value for them to qualify.

Will they have to dig into their savings to keep their homes?

The DA’s fight against the VAT increase is a noble cause: citizens shouldn’t have to pay for the government’s mismanagement.

However, the DA needs to remember that if this is good for the goose…

Its fight over VAT increase a noble cause, but…

Research analyst at South African Institute of Race Relations, Joburg