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Issue: Mid - June, 2020
Dunoon explodes after shacks demolished
After week of protests, land invasion thwarted
Three Inkwenkwezi teachers test positive for Covid-19
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More free water and electricity in new City budget RUNNING TAPS... Malwande Saki, lives on his mother’s state-subsidised property in Masiphumelele, said the water management device on the municipal inlet valve used to restrict flow to 200 litres a day, but since the Covid-19 lockdown it had been adjusted to allow a free flow. Photo: Steve Kretzmann
STEVE KRETZMANN
The new City budget for 2020/21, which was passed on 27 May through a Skype-facilitated council meeting, contains some relief for low-income households as the economic freefall caused by
the Covid-19 lockdown takes effect. In his speech tabling the R54.4 billion budget, Executive Mayor Dan Plato announced a R3 billion social package to support indigent families, the disabled, and pensioners. Plato stated households living on properties valued at less than
R300,000, or with income below R4,500 per month, would not pay property rates or refuse tariffs. They would also receive 10.5 kilolitres per month free of charge and receive 60 kilowatt hours of free elecricity, with the proviso consumption was kept low. The threshold for
being able to register as indigent was raised to a household income of R7,000 per month. “We know that many have already lost their jobs or fallen on hard times,” stated Plato. He said the impact of Covid-19 cost the City budget R2 billion, but this “burden” was not being
passed on to residents. Our annual rates increases are the lowest of all metros who have tabled budgets so far. Good governance is enabling us to absorb the estimated R2 billion COVID-19 impact on our budget, without passing this burden onto residents. “More people can not
only qualify for relief, but do so via a quicker and easier application process,” he said, and stated interest-free payment options have been made available for people who have fallen behind on paying their rates.
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