The Soutpansberg Ratepayers Association issued a media alert to all property owners in the jurisdiction of the Makhado Municipality.

All property owners should make sure of the value of their properties indicated on the valuation roll at the municipality and deliver an appeal before April 30.

Property owners should make provision for paying the new Property Rates as from the June 1 this year. The SRPA furthermore states the serious problems that they have with the credibility of the valuation roll and the quality of service delivery.

Residential property owners, with properties with a valuation of more that R20 000, will pay half a cent in every rand of the value of the residential property. Businesses, commercial and industrial properties will pay three quarters of a cent in every rand of the market value of the site and building.

"The valuation roll on which the tax is based is not a credible document because there are too many mistakes and guess work by the valuators. Houses that were valued at R400 000 by the municipality were valued by a commercial bank for R2,2million and farms that are worth at least R1,5million are valued for a mere R90 000. It is stated clearly in clause 3.4(a) under the heading Equity that ‘The municipality will treat all ratepayers with similar properties the same’. It is not being done by the municipality or the valuators. Many mistakes were made, due to the fact that the valuators were not expected to visit properties for proper valuations and were allowed to make use of other, easier ways such as ortho-photos, air photography or group valuations," states the SRPA.

According to the media statement, the valuation roll indicates wrong owners for a number of properties.

"There are people who left or sold their properties a long time ago (up to six years ago), but the properties are still registered in their names."

Quite a large number (hundreds) of properties are listed without an address of the owner.

"It will be impossible for the municipality to deliver accounts to all property owners or to collect rates due," reads the statement. It is stated in clause 15.1 of the Property Rates Policy that ‘The municipality will furnish each person liable for the payment of rates with a written account’ and in clause 15.2 it is stated that ‘A person liable for payment of rates remains liable for such payment, whether or not such a person has received a written account’.

The SPRA states that "it is envisaged and proposed by the Makhado Municipality that tariffs for municipal services, which are deteriorating every day, will further increase by between 8% and 12%, on top of the property rates tax … The responsibility of the municipality and the services that they must be provide to all property owners, like roads, water and sewerage, are not taken in account or guaranteed," says the SPRA.

The media statement ends with a serious warning that the ongoing poor service delivery, maladministration and mismanagement of the finances of the Makhado Municipality will necessitate the intervention of the community in the affairs of the municipality by withholding rates and taxes from the municipality and paying it into a trust account, managed by attorneys.

Further enquiries can be made by contacting the chairman of the SPRA on 084 910 7654.