No refuse removal, no bill, demands AfriForum
AfriForum demands from the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality not to send bills for refuse removal to the residents of the municipality. This stems from the suspension of various services in this municipality since an illegal strike began at the end of July. Refuse removal services in the Tshwane Metro have been practically brought to a standstill for the past two months. Therefore, AfriForum argues that charging the refuse removal tariff on residents’ monthly municipal accounts is not fair in these circumstances. Residents cannot be expected to continue paying for services that are not provided.
“AfriForum realises that the Metro is in a very difficult situation because of the strike, but it still has a constitutional obligation to residents to provide sustainable services such as refuse removal. It is therefore irrational to demand that residents must pay for a service that is not provided,” says Petrus Coetzee, AfriForum’s advisor for Local Government Affairs.
In a meeting with the Metro this past Thursday, AfriForum suggested that residents should only pay 50% of the normal rate for the period in which the services were not provided – the other 50% is used to fund city cleaning. As an alternative, AfriForum proposed that the accounts be calculated pro-rata according to the number of times the specific residents’ refuse has been removed.
Coetzee further argues that the Metro’s by-law on waste management provides for residents to request the Metro to cancel their municipal refuse removal services. “It is important that residents provide good reasons if they request to cancel the service. A tremendous health risk because of the sporadic delivery of the service can be put forward as a reason. The cancellation of municipal refuse removal services and the appointment of private service providers can be a sustainable alternative to sectional title schemes and complexes, because these services may be better and cheaper.”
“AfriForum has already done a lot of work to help solve the refuse crisis in a practical way. Our branch structures have already taken care of refuse removal in Garsfontein and Moreleta Park with the help of private contractors as well as AfriForum’s security company, Forum Sekuriteit. Our branch in Pretoria West accompanied trucks and refuse removal employees on their route in this area and helped empty bins. Where possible, AfriForum will continue to offer solutions to solve the crisis in the Tshwane Metro. It is important that residents note that we can provide refuse removal services at a cheaper price if we are given the opportunity,” says Coetzee.
