- A report by the City of Cape Town's finance directorate found the bulk of debt outstanding was linked to residential properties, followed by business ones.
- The mayoral committee member for finance, Ian Neilson, said Covid-19 and the national lockdown regulations have had a negative impact on the city's monthly payments received.
- According to the City, there were 4 257 valuation objections from the General Valuations Roll of 2018 currently being dealt with.
Cape Town residents owe the municipality R9 billion in outstanding rates and services.
According to the City of Cape Town's finance directorate there was an increase of R434 million in its total debt for January this year in comparison to last year.
In a report by the City's finance directorate released this week, it stated the bulk of the debt outstanding was linked to residential properties (R6.25 billion), followed by business properties (R1.870 billion) and other with debts outstanding of R781.8 million.
"It is therefore important for all property owners, public housing rentals and loans tenants/debtors and tenants of leased properties to pay their accounts in full on or before the due date or make arrangements to pay off their arrear debts over an agreed period of time, based on their ability to pay, in order to avoid any debt recovery actions being instituted against them," the report said.
Lockdown
The mayoral committee member for finance, Ian Neilson, said: "Covid-19 and the national lockdown regulations have had a negative impact on some of the monthly payments received.
"However, payments have improved, and the City's cash flows are operating at adequate levels to continue providing services. Those who have required extra Covid-19 assistance have been assisted through no interest payment arrangements, in addition to more than R3.3 billion allocated for rates and services assistance."
According to the City, there were 4 257 valuation objections of general valuations (GV) of 2018 and supplementary valuations objections, as well as appeals submitted to the independent valuation appeal boards for property owners not satisfied with the outcome of the GV 2018 objections, that all still need to be addressed. These valuation objections total R71.94 million.
Neilson said: "Official notices of the objection outcomes have been posted to the property owners. Approximately 3 800 objectors opted to submit appeals against their objection outcomes of which 1 209 have been resolved by the independent Valuation Appeal Board. It is projected that most of these appeals will be resolved by December 2021."