The Witness

The Witness: "Residents cry foul"
FOLLOWING a report in The Witness about how home owners in Pietermaritzburg are struggling to pay increased bills for electricity and rates, more residents have called to voice their frustrations. These are some of the responses posted on the Witness website:

•“It seems to me the municipality is only targeting certain areas. My house value has escalated from R400 000 to R800 000. If the municipality believes my house is worth so much, by all means they can pay me that amount and take my house. Furthermore, the consultants in charge of valuations have never been to my area, let alone to my house.”

•“It would be interesting to know exactly where our money is going. Our streets are disgusting and there is very little one can do when phoning the municipality as the staff appear to lack skills in client relations. To solve this problem, perhaps each residential area should be given the money and the responsibility of cleaning up. That way, we know that our money is not going into the pockets of those who are doing nothing but feathering their own nests.”

•“What the city council has done is despicable and immoral. To raise rates and electricity tariffs substantially in the middle of a global recession is heartless.”

•“We are going to see more property and car repossessions in the near future. Responsible governments around the world are doing their best to shield consumers from the harsh effects of the recession, but our greedy lot are going for the kill. How shameful.”

•“Something is drastically wrong here. We live in a country that receives among the most sunlight hours in the world, meaning solar energy is just waiting to be used, freely. I have seen many developing countries subsidise the installation of such panels. Of course, municipalities are concerned about the expected reduction of revenues associated with this and therefore there is no encouragement for it. Maybe we need to be thinking more innovatively about this politically and economically, let alone environmentally. Why are we waiting for something that’s ultimately inevitable? Its only our mindset that’s holding us back …” — WR.