The Soutpansberg Rate Payers Association (SRPA) has formally declared a dispute against the Makhado Municipality, threatening to withhold rates and taxes, based on poor service delivery and a host of other complaints. The memorandum declaring the dispute and the details of the SRPA’s decision to embark on this course was formally handed over to the municipality on Tuesday, August 26.

In the memorandum, the SRPA indicates that the association was formed to deal with complaints and queries of residents regarding the municipality and its service delivery. As an institution, it was formed in March last year and represents close to 100 000 residents within the Makhado Municipality’s area of jurisdiction. It is also affiliated with the National Ratepayers Association, which has assisted numerous similar associations in declaring disputes with municipal councils. At a public meeting on June 17 this year, the association was given the mandate by its members to declare a dispute with the Makhado Municipality. The mayor of the town, Cllr Glory Mashaba, declined to attend the meeting.

The dispute is based on a number of factors which the municipality has failed to comply with. The SRPA points out that the Constitution clearly states that any municipality must “provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent local government, must adhere to the objectives of local government, ensure that the policies of the municipality are within national economic policies and must adhere to the functional areas as stipulated...” By the same token, the Municipal Demarcation Act stipulates that the municipality must “provide for democratic and accountable government for the local communities and must provide services to the communities in an equitable and sustainable manner”. A number of other acts and regulations are also pointed out, such as the Municipal Finance Management Act referred to in a number of reports in this newspaper in previous weeks.

The SRPA points out that it and a number of other organisations have written numerous letters and warnings to the municipality and they have also used the national and local press, television and radio to draw the municipality’s attention to the state of affairs, to no avail. Copies of letters were sent to the President, some government ministers, MECs, the HRC, the auditor-general and various other stakeholders, with the same result.

In particular, the dispute revolves around the following issues: Water for human consumption, sewerage, roads, consultation, financial and administrative management, and property rates. The SRPA stresses that this extraordinary measure is taken as a last resort, since all other means to drive home the message or even to elicit a response from the municipality have failed. It indicates that this dispute is a vote of no confidence in the municipal council, although the association has no interest in “taking over” the Makhado Municipality. It regards the dispute as the only legal, peaceful means left to residents and, unless appropriate action is taken and clear progress is made in addressing the various problems within 30 days, payment of tariffs on water, basic water, basic electricity, sewerage, basic sewerage, refuse removal and property assessment rates will no longer be made to the municipality but into a trust account. The municipality will be supplied with a monthly list of residents who have paid their rates into the trust account.