City takes no-nonsense approach to Sea Point residents’ rates boycott

[schumi]

Cape Town – The City has taken a no-nonsense approach to Sea Point residents who have been participating in a rates boycott by cutting off their water and deducting outstanding rates from prepaid electricity purchases.

Residents under the banner of the Concerned Residents of Atlantic Seaboard, co-ordinated by Sea Point resident Paul Jacobson, have slammed the City for what they call “ruthless and insensitive”.

“Without due notification, they have stopped the supply of water to certain homes. They have deducted monies owed on rates from prepaid electricity,” said Jacobson. He said residents were not only struggling to keep up with the rates, but were faced with increases.

“No matter the circumstances, whether one has been affected by the hardships of lockdown or withholding rates purposely until they supply the services, the City has been ruthless, insensitive and unreasonable.

“They have still affected a 4% increase in rates, even though property values have plummeted. They have still affected a 6% increase in salaries for certain City officials, knowing that most industries have taken serious wage cuts.”

It’s been a month since a number of residents decided to embark on a rates boycott by withholding 50% of their property rates payments. They have accused the City of neglecting the area and delivering poor services.The decision by residents was made at a meeting last month. In minutes of the meeting, which the Cape Argus has seen, they slammed the City for its unwillingness and/or inability to stem the flow of homeless people, vagrants, aggressive begging, crime, illegal parking attendants on the Atlantic Seaboard and its failure to enforce its own by-laws in relation to public nuisance, dumping and litter.

More at: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/new...-boycott-7caa83a5-fb1a-494f-bb00-6e9a1c545ba2

 

[MightyQuin]

Owns some of the most valuable real estate in the world.....pisses and moans about rates.

Fukkem...

 

[WAslayer]

"Without due notification..."

Like they didn't know what happens when you fail to pay your municipal account...

 

[C4Cat]

Probably also the first to piss and moan about people stealing electricity in poor areas, and cheering when Eskom cuts them off

 

[joker08]

Owns some of the most valuable real estate in the world.....pisses and moans about rates.

Fukkem...

I dont think they are only unhappy about the rates increase

 

[konfab]

They should just pool that money and start digging their own municipal infrastructure.

 

[MightyQuin]

I dont think they are only unhappy about the rates increase

 

[gamer16]

"Without due notification..."

Like they didn't know what happens when you fail to pay your municipal account...

Probably actually didn't, just like they probably can't remember what polony is.

 

[TheChamp]

They should go off grid, but they should remember to register their off grid systems with the city.

 

[Rajah]

Jacobson, isn't this the same guy that put someone personal details on SM and then that okes car got petrol bombed? Despicable person.

 

[Currantly]

Where was the CoCT's "no-nonsense approach" when it came to the Camps Bay squatters?

 

[DreamKing]

I dont think they are only unhappy about the rates increase

the first thing DA did when they won the power in JHB was "increase the rate and taxes for double".

you may think DA is a better party but unfortunately, they are even worse than anc to some degree

 

[Gnome]

I fully understand the anger here. You are paying some of the highest rates and taxes in the country and getting completely ignored when it comes to reasonable requests for assistance from the government.

There is a big difference between withholding payment for non-performance and being upset with the taxes imposed.

But as we all know, only the poor masses are allowed to be upset about non-performance.

 

[vigras rojara]

Where was the CoCT's "no-nonsense approach" when it came to the Camps Bay squatters?

The Camps Bay squatters didn't owe CoCT money so I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

 

[supersunbird]

Owns some of the most valuable real estate in the world.....pisses and moans about rates.

Fukkem...

The real problem:

They have accused the City of neglecting the area and delivering poor services.The decision by residents was made at a meeting last month. In minutes of the meeting, which the Cape Argus has seen, they slammed the City for its unwillingness and/or inability to stem the flow of homeless people, vagrants, aggressive begging, crime, illegal parking attendants on the Atlantic Seaboard and its failure to enforce its own by-laws in relation to public nuisance, dumping and litter.

Don't think you can tell them to "don't vote ANC" though.

 

[Fulcrum29]

The real problem:



Don't think you can tell them to "don't vote ANC" though.

I see this same issue creeping up in other CT areas. This has now also lately become a vocal issue in Strand, and I think the community have become 'gatvol' cleaning up their areas.

Begging has become overly aggressive. I schit you not, on a good day I have more than 10 people knocking on my door, yes, we have vagrants in the abundance. I try to help, but it is getting too much. You do have some, which are turned away, which then goes and vandalise your property. This is an activity happening between 07h00-23h00 every day.

The city removed our city-appointed parking attendants, now there are more parking attendants, but they are all illegal. The same story, don't have something to give, and they vandalise your property, and they damn like to hustle. It makes me miss the city-appointed parking attendants.

My gardener once told me that he didn't want other people to know that he works here, I am not going into his reasoning here, but I can sympathise with him.

The city can’t expect its residents to be a charity.

 

[grok]

I fully understand the anger here. You are paying some of the highest rates and taxes in the country and getting completely ignored when it comes to reasonable requests for assistance from the government.

There is a big difference between withholding payment for non-performance and being upset with the taxes imposed.

But as we all know, only the poor masses are allowed to be upset about non-performance.

You mean like whites and covid aid? We are 100% not equal if we are not treated equally or the same response is expected from different race groups.

 

[The Free Radical]

The Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl are turning into slums.
Vagrants loitering all over.
Shacks popping up in residential areas.
Stabbing, muggings, thefts from vehicles all on a steep rise.
Urban decay and no maintenance of public infrastructure.

The City recently jacked up rates, despite homes lowering in price between 30-40% in last two quarters.

Why????

Because just 18% of the erfs pay rates which subsidize 78% of the erfs and townships that don't.
The geese that lay the golden rates eggs have had enough of carrying the can and getting jack in return.

They have legitimate grievances.

 

[mercurial]

This is happening all over Cape Town and the city is doing absolutely nothing about it but as soon as they need money...

 

[surface]

What about Soweto?