This isn’t a Budget it’s a burden: Capetonians must rise against DA’s punitive tariffs

I write this not as a politician, but as a son of this city.

Cape Town taught me resilience and pride. It raised me in the shadow of Table Mountain, on the proud Cape Flats and with the hope of its people. But today, I write with a heavy heart and a burning conviction because this uncaring DA City of Cape Town council, our home, is turning its back on the very people who built it.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says this budget is “pro-poor.”  But the facts, and the pain playing out in homes across this city, tell a very different story.

Let’s Be Clear: The Poor Are Not Being Carried by the Wealthy

The City tells us that wealthy households are now contributing more to uplift the poor. It sounds noble. It sounds just. But it’s simply not true.

• The 7 billion in national allocations from the Treasury , not local council cross-subsidies is what actually funds free basic services and sanitation.
• Out of this, the City has only budgeted 7 billion for such services. That means national taxpayers not local generosity are lifting the most vulnerable.

Where is the other monies going?

In other words, the “redistributive” claim is a myth dressed in spin. the poorest in the city are supported by national funds, not by progressive uplifts from affluent households.

The working-class, the pensioner, the young professional, and the struggling homeowner you are being made to carry the burden.

Homeowners Are Not the Enemy They’re the Collateral Damage

Cape Town is one of the most unequal cities on Earth. But instead of tackling that with vision and innovation, this budget turns to the easiest target: your home.

Your rates and service charges are now tied not to your usage but to your property’s market value. It is grossly unfair. By correlating fixed service charges like the new “cleaning tariff,” water, sewerage, and electricity to property valuations, the City assumes that property value equals income. But in Cape Town, property prices have surged far faster than household incomes. Why because it has become the playground of the rich making it unaffordable to ordinary Capetonians.

Real Data shows:

• Draft budget proposes average property rates hikes of 7.96 %, with values over R3 million facing over 20 % increases .
• New fixed charges set by valuation: Cleaning tariff: ~R477/month; Sewerage: ~R157/month ;Electricity connection fixed charge: +39 % ; Water connection fixed charge: +113 %, Crazy is it not..

Combined, this adds ~R920/month extra for a R4.2 million property regardless of usage. Specifically Bergvliet and Meadowridge, residents report this bill increases. That’s nearly R11,000 per year just in extra fixed charges. This is outrageous!  Where is the outcry, Capetonians???

Electricity Tariffs: Above and Beyond

The City applied to NERSA for a 14.5 % electricity tariff increase, vastly outstripping national average hikes of around 14 %, already high by global standards .Remember, in 2023/24 they implemented 17.6 % almost 2 % above the NERSA-approved 15.1 %.

Despite public opposition and legal challenges over these above-inflation increases, the City insists it’s simply covering its "cost-to-supply" but we know its daylight robbery and opaque revenue grab.

Let’s talk about what that really means:

• A retired couple in Lansdowne, living in a home they paid off 30 years ago, now face nearly R1,000 more every month not because they’re using more water or electricity, but because their area’s property prices have risen.
• A young family in Ottery, barely making ends meet, receives a bill increase of 28%, simply because their home was revalued.

No extra luxury. No extra income. Just extra pressure. Ons sukkel. Ons kry swaar.

This is NOT fairness, equity or redress. It’s financial cruelty with a smile.

This is not creative budgeting. It’s a cynical cash grab from people who cannot afford it.

What If Your Parent Lives Alone?

Imagine your mother, a widow in Mitchells Plain or Grassy Park, living on a state pension. Her home is modest, but its value has risen over time. Now, her monthly account has doubled yet she still boils one kettle, washes one load, and uses barely any electricity.

She’s being punished for staying in the home she raised you in. Does that sound like justice to you?

14,000 People Spoke. Will You Be Next?

In the recent public comment process, over 14,000 Capetonians wrote in protest. Mayor Hill stop being tone deaf.

Residents’ associations from across the city from Khayelitsha to Kuilsriver, from Durbanville to Wynberg have all said: this is not right.

We don’t want handouts. We want fairness. We’re not refusing to pay. We’re refusing to be exploited.

Don’t Let Them Tell You This Is About Equity

Mayor Hill-Lewis says “wealthier areas are paying more so poorer areas can get more”  and “Homes above R7 million could see increases over 20 %,” he says, “to invest in poorer communities.”

That’s not what the budget shows. In reality:

• Poorer areas are funded by national government grants, not through municipal ratepayers.
• The City’s budget increases are not tied to actual service usage. New charges appear less redistributive and more like value-based wealth extraction, muffled behind pro‑poor rhetoric
• Your ability to pay is not being considered. Only your area and your home value.

So, who benefits from this budget? Who gets richer, while you get squeezed? Fair taxation means paying for what you use, not how much your home is worth.

It’s Time to Draw a Line in the Sand

Capetonians, we are a proud people. From Bonteheuwel to Bishop Lavis, from Bo-Kaap to Bishops Court we built this city brick by brick, spirit by spirit.

This is not just a fight about budgets. It’s a fight for dignity. For fairness. For a city that belongs to all who live in it not just those who can afford to survive it.

What Can You Do Now?

• Speak to your councillor. Demand they reject any budget that punishes residents based on property value alone. don’t vote for them if they do not stand for you.
• Join your rates and residents’ association like SANCO , groups like CTCRA or Bergvliet Meadowridge are submitting collective objections. They’re taking legal steps. Add your voice.
• Spread the word. Share your bill. Talk to your neighbour. Use social media. Attend, arrange public meetings or request virtual participation
• Sign the petitions. SAPOA and civil coalitions are mounting challenges support them.
• Stay informed. Read the budget. Understand the terms. Don’t be fooled by smooth DA spin and smoke and mirrors. demand a phased-in approach to tariff restructuring, volume-based billing, and targeted support for vulnerable households

Final Word: Don’t Let Them Take Our City From Us

This is our city. Not theirs to manage with spreadsheets and spin. We are not ATMs. We are citizens. We are not silent. We are strong.

So stand up. Push back. Speak out.

Let us fight for a Cape Town that is fair, compassionate, and just not just for the wealthy, but for all who call this place home.

We owe it to our parents. We owe it to our children. We owe it to ourselves.

You know this , why are you not acting?

Let’s act now. Before the city we love becomes unlivable for the very people who gave it life.

* Faiez Jacobs – Former Member of Parliament | Activist | Public Servant | Citizen of South Africa

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.