Tariff Protest 'Anti-Poor'

COURT CHALLENGE: CAPE TOWN MAYOR ACCUSES PROPERTY ASSOCIATION

- Antoinette Slabbert

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has hit back at the court challenge by the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) to the city's newly introduced fixed charges for water, cleaning and sanitation, which are linked to property value.

Sapoa has brought an urgent application to have the charges reviewed and set aside. It is asking the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town to suspend the order for two months to allow the city to rectify the tariffs.

If it is impossible to do that in isolation, the association asks the whole budget be set aside, and the order suspended for two months so the city can rectify it and ensure the budget remains funded.

Hill-Lewis said Sapoa's attempt to stop Cape Town's pro-poor budget is to protect their own vested interests and puts their profits ahead of the people of Cape Town.