Durban - Ratepayers are not backing down in their dispute with the eThekwini Municipality over their decision to boycott the paying of rates.
City officials, led by mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and speaker Thabani Nyawose, met the ratepayers, led by the Westville Ratepayers’ Association (WRA), on Thursday in an effort to resolve the dispute.
Several ratepayers have joined the action first launched by the WRA. The WRA said last week that ratepayers had withheld R400 000 in rates payments for July and diverted the money to a trust account.
Thursday’s meeting achieved little by way of a resolution, with ratepayers accusing the City officials of arrogance. They were especially offended by Nyawose’s decision to close the meeting while the residents still had things to say.
WRA chairperson Asad Gaffar said: “The meeting was a sham. The mayor came to play politics instead of wanting to deal with the issues. “Not even sure why he brought speaker, Thabani Nyawose, as this was a meeting to resolve our issues. The speaker then took it upon himself to close the meeting,” he said, adding the dispute would continue.
A letter by the eThekwini Ratepayers’ Movement (ERPM) on behalf of all ratepayers who are part of the action was scathing of the City’s conduct. Gaffar confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
The ERPM is a representative of ratepayer bodies in eThekwini formed in response to the crisis.
“The City’s leadership did not come with clean hands, instead (they) tried to bully the ratepayers into submission to end the protest. The mayor declared our action unlawful.
“In the middle of our discourse, the speaker unilaterally decided to close of the meeting, which we found highly disrespectful. It was clear they had no interest in finding an amicable solution, all ERPM-affiliated members present walked out in protest.”
The position of the ERPM was that the protest would continue until all demands had been met. It said ratepayers were cognisant of the fact that their action would expedite the process of the City being placed under administration.
It said the Metro had failed to consult broadly over increased utility tariffs. “Once the municipality agrees to ratepayer oversight over municipal expenditure and a number of achievable, well-reasoned demands, WRA/ ERPM will transfer the monies to the City. We know of no other way to oblige the City to follow the letter of the law. We have exhausted all avenues – the City has no ears,” it said.
Last week, the City was warned by its audit committee to resolve the dispute or it could create serious financial problems.
Kaunda, in a video supplied by the City of the meeting, said they would respond to the issues raised by residents, adding that the main purpose of the meeting was to persuade the residents to work with the City. Kaunda said it was illegal to withhold rates; only a municipality that had been declared by the court to be dysfunctional could face such action.“We are not a dysfunctional municipality, but one with challenges.”