Thousands of residents in Tshwane are protesting what they call a “double-billing injustice,” as the municipality continues to charge a new cleansing levy despite a recent High Court ruling declaring it unlawful.
The levy, intended to fund efforts to keep the capital city cleaner, has sparked outrage, particularly among residents living in complexes and townhouses. These residents argue they are being unfairly charged an extra R223, even though their body corporates or complexes already have a waste removal account with the city.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane has labeled the practice “exploitative” and is demanding the levy be scrapped immediately. A DA spokesperson explained, “You would have thought before the city imposes a new tax, they would check their records and make sure that they don’t double bill people.” The party alleges the levy was a “rushed tax to plug the city’s budget deficit” and does not come with any additional cleansing services for residents.
The city has acknowledged the double-billing problem and has reportedly created channels to correct it, with a commitment to credit affected accounts. However, the DA spokesperson criticized the implementation, stating it shows “very little preparation went into this.”
The issue has left residents frustrated. A resident and property owner in Tshwane, who has received numerous bills since August, slammed the municipality’s billing system, saying it “lacks credibility.”
“I am very frustrated about this because I really think it’s unnecessary,” the resident said. “We as property owners get double billed. In the past we were billed per bin in each of the complexes. Now suddenly we are charged that in addition to a city cleansing fee.”
The controversy unfolds against a legal challenge. In August, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria declared the cleansing levy unlawful following a case brought by lobby group AfriForum. Despite this ruling, the City of Tshwane plans to appeal and continues to issue the bills.
The DA has proposed a solution, suggesting the city check if a waste removal account is connected to an address and eliminate the cleansing levy for all accounts linked to that address. They also insist those who have already paid should be reimbursed or credited.
Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane is yet to respond to accusations that it has failed to find prudent ways to stabilize its ailing finances and is overburdening its already financially stretched residents.