AfriForum on 18 May 2021 demanded that taxpayers making use of alternative refuse removal services must no longer pay for municipal refuse removal. The civil rights organisation directed a letter to Adv. Tankiso Mea, acting Municipal Manager of the Mangaung Metro. The Metro failed to deliver sustainable and regular refuse removal to the residents of Bloemfontein over the past year.
In the letter, AfriForum insists that residents making use of private refuse removal services are no longer using the Metro’s services and therefore it is unreasonable of the Metro to expect these residents to pay double for the service. AfriForum also demands that the Metro pays back costs amounting to R70 500 to the organisation that has up until now been spent in 2021 removing refuse. The organisation furthermore sent a list to the Metro containing the names and municipal account numbers of approximately 130 residents to state the case that these residents have for an extended period been paying for services they no longer use.
According to Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Head of Community Structures for the central region, the annual levy, tariff and tax document for 2020/2021 clearly states that only residents making use of the Metro’s refuse removal services must pay for it. Yet this is not the case.
The Metro itself furthermore admits in its concept integrated development plan (IDP) for 2021/2022 that it is experiencing problems with refuse removal and that it is not being done “on a regular basis”.
“We have given the Mangaung Metro 14 days to respond to our letter and if we are not satisfied with their answer, we will take further legal steps against the Metro,” adds Grobbelaar.
AfriForum encourages the community to also support the case by signing the organisation’s petition that will be submitted to the Metro to show the dissatisfaction of the residents. https://antiek.afriforum.co.za/vullisverwydering-in-bloemfontein-2/
Residents can also SMS “Vullis” to 45350 (R1) to become involved with AfriForum’s refuse removal services and subsequently support the action.