Court denies municipality’s appeal on educational property rates

THE Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, has turned down an appeal by the City of Johannesburg following the court's earlier declaration that the municipality’s rates policy is unlawful and constitutionally invalid to the extent that it regulated the categorisation and rating of educational properties.

- ZELDA VENTER

The ruling issued by the court earlier this year follows the City’s removal of a property category that applied to educational institutions and the adoption of a property rates by-law and policy that categorised private schools as public enterprises.

This led to a drastic increase in property rates and taxes for private schools and other educational institutions.

Various stakeholders, including Curro Holdings, the Independent Schools Association of South Africa, and AfriForum, launched the application following the drastic rate increase.