Fight for Midrand

BBSA

BBSA

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Cash-strapped Pretoria council bids for Johannesburg's lucrative neighbourhood

A battle is looming between two of the country's most powerful cities over a lucrative neighbourhood that contributes millions to city coffers.

The cash-strapped City of Tshwane, under embattled mayor Gwen Ramokgopa, took a resolution last week to lobby for the inclusion of wealthy Midrand under its jurisdiction in an attempt to boost its income.

Council documents say the city's "political representatives [were thereby] mandated to formally raise the possibility of the inclusion of the Midrand area in the proposed new City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality with the Gauteng MEC for local government and housing [Kgaogelo Lekgoro]".

However, the "Midrand area" also includes the wealthy northern Johannesburg suburbs of Kyalami Estate and Buccleuch.

The Johannesburg Metro is expected to oppose Tshwane's bid, which is seen by many as an attempt by Ramokgopa to boost revenue.

Last year it was reported that Tshwane owed Eskom R496-million and Rand Water R64-million and had exhausted its R500-million overdraft - a situation city officials blamed on residents not paying their rates and services bills.

Top ANC officials told The Times last night that Ramokgopa's resolution should first be discussed in the party's provincial structures before being placed on a council agenda.

Gauteng ANC spokesman Dumisa Ntuli said the party was not aware of Tshwane's bid for Midrand.

"We are not saying that the resolution is wrong, but this is a matter that should be discussed by ANC structures first," he said.

"It is still early for us to pronounce that we have not been consulted, and everybody is preoccupied by the provincial conference that is taking place this weekend. We will contact the Tshwane region after the conference to get more information."

However, a Tshwane ANC regional executive council member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the idea was mooted by them. He said the city has been saddled with the impoverished Metsweding District Municipality, east of Pretoria, which is expected to drain finances and it needed something to make up the shortfall.

Subesh Pillay, the mayoral committee member for city planning and economic development in Tshwane, said their decision to "incorporate" Midrand was for "economic sustainability in the long run".

When asked if his committee expected opposition from Johannesburg, Pillay said it was "too early to speculate". He said the Tshwane leadership "expected the process to be concluded by 2016".

However, many Midrand residents are having none of it.

Leverne Young, chairwoman of Midrand's Vorna Valley Residents Association, was shocked, saying: "I don't think it will be in the interests of our residents because Tshwane is already struggling with rates collection. We are already struggling with our escalating rates while our roads are not being fixed.

"Should this go through, who knows where our money will go."

Redmond Taggart, chairman of the area's President Park Ratepayers' Association, said: "It is common knowledge that Tshwane is bankrupt ... maybe it is to cash in from our property rates and taxes."

Midrand, home to headquarters of large corporations including Vodacom, is located between Johannesburg and Pretoria and is a favourite of property investors.

Several multibillion-rand developments are now under construction in the area, including the Waterfall City Development which will include 20000 luxury apartments, a luxury golf estate, a private 18-hole golf course, 150000m² shopping centre, a hotel and a service yard for the Gautrain. It is believed to have cost developers R10-billion.
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Haha, I'm sure Midrand residents will be happy to be part of Pretoria:whistle:
 
They must get a good debt collector and go after their own residents that dont pay, and leave us alone! Its not as though Midrand is all good though. Our local councillors really dont give a crap, until maybe early next year...
 
Tshwane cant even manage the area they currently have and now they want more responsibility
 
How weird is this? "We can't manage our own city, so we'll take a chunk of yours"? Piss off Pretoria.
 
What difference does it make which flea ridden and corrosively corrupt municipality gets the money, the bottom line is that they're obviously paying excessive rates for the sole purpose of funding the fleas and the corrupt.

Either way, this highlights the problem with our municipalities, where the municipal leaders do not concentrate on quality and efficiency, but instead concentrate on gathering easy money.

If the available cash that the municipalities was made available on a country-wide level, this would not even be an issue, and the lay-about municipal leaders could be forced to focus on saving money.
 
nivek said:
Tshwane cant even manage the area they currently have and now they want more responsibility
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THis is not a good idea. Recently we have had our water and electricity cut off for non payments of previous owners rates... It's shocking.
How do you cut off water and lights that is paid for in order to collect rates money that is owed by somebody else?


But Midrand is also not in a very good state. The roads are amongst the worst in Gauteng. Even my home township in DBN has better roads.
 
Maestr0 said:
Midrand is a **** hole. I don't want it part of Pretoria.
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You obviously missed this...
...a lucrative neighbourhood that contributes millions to city coffers.
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... this....
the "Midrand area" also includes the wealthy northern Johannesburg suburbs of Kyalami Estate and Buccleuch
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... and this ...
Midrand, home to headquarters of large corporations including Vodacom, is located between Johannesburg and Pretoria and is a favourite of property investors.

Several multibillion-rand developments are now under construction in the area, including the Waterfall City Development which will include 20000 luxury apartments, a luxury golf estate, a private 18-hole golf course, 150000m² shopping centre, a hotel and a service yard for the Gautrain. It is believed to have cost developers R10-billion.
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about Midrand.... which is the reason the greedy little piggies are fighting over it :rolleyes:
 
How the f#*$ can a council be in so much debt. If you life in PTA and don't pay your electricity it gets cut off within a month.
 
BBSA said:
What do you mean with control, although they won the wards they do not have any say in the running of the areas.
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Sorry, you right. They are involved though...
 
Wonder how the Midrand people will feel about this. First time Gwen stops paying the rubish removal people and it lies and rot.
Will Midrand not fall under Centurion? And is Centurion part of Pretoria?
 
Mila said:
Wonder how the Midrand people will feel about this. First time Gwen stops paying the rubish removal people and it lies and rot.
Will Midrand not fall under Centurion? And is Centurion part of Pretoria?
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Centurion falls under The City of Tshwane Municipality, and is not officially part of Pretoria, although it used to be. It's now it's own city.
 
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