“In future ... communicate through our and your lawyers,” was the answer that the Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association (SRPA) received when they requested a meeting with the municipal manager of the Makhado Municipality on 5 June.

The letter by the SRPA requesting the meeting states that the association would like to discuss various issues, such as the different responsibilities of the Makhado and Vhembe  Municipalities, the beautification of the town, incomplete roads and signs, building plans, water tankers (while water problems persist) and the issues of pumps and boreholes.

“Kindly take notice that I do not see any purpose in such meetings until the Enslin and Du Plessis matter is finalized in the Gauteng High Court,” writes the municipal manager, Mr Isaac Mutshinyali.

The SRPA obtained an interim court interdict last year in the matter of Enslin and Du Plessis vs the Makhado Municipality when the court ordered the municipality to reconnect the electricity of the above-mentioned and other SRPA members.  The municipality had cut the electricity supply, due to the fact that the accounts of members of the SRPA were in arrears. The SRPA had decided to withhold certain payments and deposit them into a trust fund until their dispute with the municipality regarding poor service delivery could be resolved satisfactorily.

Following the Constitutional Court Judgement on the case Rademan vs Moqhaka Municipality, the SRPA said that they would pay the basic service fees over but would continue to withhold the property rates payments.

“Considering the fact that the SRPA are putting a financial strain on the normal operation of the Municipality, the Municipality do not see any purpose in such meetings until all the monies due to the Municipality is received. The SRPA cannot expect  preferential treatment, but refuse to pay the monies due to the Municipality,” Mr Mutshinyali states.

The chairperson of the SRPA, Ms Inga Gilfillan, has said that a refusal to communicate with ratepayers is not in line with the conduct prescribed in the Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Financial Management Act.