Following public outcry over the City of Cape Town’s (COCT) proposed budget for the upcoming financial year, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the metro is considering offering greater rate discounts to more pensioners and property owners.
Hill-Lewis stated that the City is currently modelling two additional support measures: expanding property rate relief and raising the qualifying income threshold for pensioner rebates beyond the current R22,000 monthly limit.
“While the new budget was designed to bring relief to households with properties valued under R2.5 million, the COCT has heard the concerns of residents in higher brackets. We are now looking into further support measures to ease their monthly municipal bills,” Hill-Lewis said.
Meanwhile, Sandra Dickson, founder of the civic group Stop COCT, criticised the proposals, saying there is little clarity on what support will actually be offered.
“These so-called ‘reliefs’ are token gestures aimed at placating public outrage, while the real issues remain unaddressed. The letter provides no serious solutions, no viable alternatives, and lacks empathy for the financial strain placed on middle-income homeowners and pensioners. It ignores the fundamentally unfair system of charging fixed fees based on property values determined and controlled by the City,” she added.
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