Cleaning levy relief

COURTS: CITY ADMITTED THAT SOME RESIDENTS MISTAKENLY BILLED

- Antoinette Slabbert

BUDGET. AfriForum challenged the levy, which targeted 250 000 residents the city labelled 'freeloaders' for not using municipal waste services.

(Picture: Bloomberg)

The City of Tshwane suffered another blow in court when the suspension of an earlier order declaring its controversial cleaning levy unlawful was lifted pending its appeal.

This means Tshwane may no longer charge residents the R194 a month cleaning levy and must credit residents who have already paid it.

This may change if the city gets the order overturned on appeal, but its chances of doing so are slim.

Moneyweb earlier reported that the metro in its budget for the this year included the new levy for residents that do not use its waste-removal service and whom it labelled "freeloaders".

It targeted about 250 000 residents and hoped to raise R540 million in the current financial year from this new income stream.

AfriForum challenged the imposition of the levy in the High Court in Pretoria, and in a scathing judgment the levy was declared unlawful and set aside.