Relief for Durban’s senior citizens

Senior citizens with properties valued at R2 million to R3m can sleep a little easier – the eThekwini municipality has recommended that they still qualify for rates rebates.

The rebate for pensioners stands at R210 a month.

The municipality had received more than 200 complaints following the release of its revised rates policy, which had proposed that rebates for pensioners in the 2011/12 financial year be extended to those whose properties were valued at up to R2m, instead of R3m as was the case from 2007.

According to a report accompanying the rates policy, statistics showed that senior citizens in “greater need of assistance” lived in homes valued at less than R1m.

Municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe said yesterday that while the decision would have to be passed by the full council, the council’s executive committee had recommended that the cap be maintained at R3m as pensioners with properties valued between R2m and R3m would be adversely affected.

City treasurer Krish Kumar said the municipality had received more than 200 comments from ratepayers and others from ratepayers’ bodies, expressing concern about the reduced rebate cap.

“These comments, coupled with the fact that we are still feeling the effects of the economic recession, were the primary drivers for the municipality deciding to stay with the original cap. We feel this will offer some relief to ratepayers,” he said.

Lilian Develing, of the Combined Ratepayers’ Associations, welcomed the municipality’s decision on Sunday.

“It shows that they are listening and we are happy about that. It is a little bit of relief, but it will help pensioners because an extra R200 could go towards buying groceries.”

North Durban Ratepayers’ Association chairwoman Irene Reid was “delighted”.

“We are obviously pleased that the cap is going to remain at R3m, but we feel that pensioners should get more rebates. Pensioners have lived and worked in this city for many years and contributed to its economy,” she said.

Objected

Umhlanga, La Lucia Triangle Ratepayers’ Association chairman Ulrich Schoeman said the organisation had also objected to the R2m cap.

“We appreciate that they have taken cognisance of the plight of pensioners. Many pensioners in our area would have been affected if the R2m cap had stood,” he said.

DA councillor Dean Macpherson said

: “While we welcome the lower cap, we believe that there should be no cap at all on pensioners. Our pensioners must be looked after, not identified as a soft target by the municipality to be fleeced.”

Prior to 2007, rebates in Durban were granted to anyone older than 60, regardless of the value of their property. - The Mercury