Violent protests by the community of Middelburg have forced the Steve Tshwete local municipality to put its tariffs increases on hold and to also delay the removal of non-qualifying people from its register of indigents, which exempts them from paying rates.
Last week the community went on the rampage, barricading roads, setting alight a bus and forcing businesses to shut down in protest against a 3.9% tariff hike for rates.
The council held an urgent meeting on Friday and resolved that the cleansing of the indigent register be put on hold and that the increment in tariffs also be put on hold for 30 days. Those who owe the municipality will be allowed to purchase services without having to settle their debts first.
According to the municipality, the auditor-general (AG) had ordered it to fix its indigent register after it appeared that people who did not qualify to be on the register, such as teachers, police officers and municipal employees who earn more than the threshold R3,700, were benefiting unduly.
“Following consultations with communities and other stakeholders regarding municipal accounts concerns, council resolved that residents be allowed to buy electricity for the next 30 days even if their municipal accounts are in arrears. In this regard, the municipality appeals to all residents to continue with the payment of their accounts,” said Steve Tshwete local municipality spokesperson, Prudence Magutle.
“The council also resolved that only residents who were delisted from the indigent register due to disqualification of letters of authority and incomplete information be reinstated for a period of up to six months while their matters are being reviewed. Accounts of these residents will therefore be reviewed from January 2021 to date. And residents who were disqualified due to affordability will not be brought back to the indigent register.”
Magutle said the municipality’s revenue management team will be visiting various wards from today to consult and resolve municipal accounts enquiries brought forward by affected residents.
“When we started fixing the recommendations from the AG and tried to meet with the public and also explain their concerns we were met with revolt. We therefore found out that people started mobilising the community to protest, hence the violence. Remember, when unqualified people are benefiting in the indigent register, those who need and qualify are being affected, including child-headed households, and that’s not right. We also found out that people turned their homes to rental spaces and they are being charged as a residential place whereas that place needed to rezone to be a business site and when we tried to help on that, people resorted to the violence.” said Magutle.
She said even though they had delayed their rates increment and the cleansing of the indigent register, they still have to adhere to the recommendations from the AG.
“You will see that we have given some 30 days and also some about six months. As the municipality we are trying by all means to practice clean governance and on the other hand to compromise and accommodate our communities,” said Magutle.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli said 30 people were arrested during the violent protest and charged with public violence.
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