If you live in Cape Town, you might have
noticed higher charges on your municipal bill over the past year. Now, the High
Court has ruled that some of those fixed charges were unlawful and residents
want answers.
The city had introduced fixed charges for
water, sewerage, and cleaning services in its 2025 and 2026 budget. The issue
is that these charges were linked to the value of people’s homes, not
necessarily how much water or services they used.
Many residents and ratepayer groups argued that
this was unfair, especially for pensioners, unemployed people, and families
already struggling with the cost of living.
After public backlash, groups like SAPOA and
AfriForum challenged the city in court and won.
Now the City plans to make changes to the
budget and is asking the public for comment between May 27 and June 10.
The city wants to protect lower- and
middle-income households by increasing the rates-free rebate from R450 000 to
R620 000 for qualifying homes.
For many residents, the bigger question remains
why were these charges introduced in the first place, and who really benefited
from them?
As the debate continues, Cape Town residents
are now being encouraged to pay attention to the proposed budget changes and
speak up during the public participation process.
Because at the end of the day, municipal
decisions affect every household especially when it comes to people’s pockets.
By Sikhanyisele Cishe