Poor economic performance will see Ekurhuleni residents pay more on rates

Photo: Eddie Mtsweni

Jobe Sithole

Residents of the City of Ekurhuleni will have to fork out more for their rates, according to City of Ekurhuleni’s MMC for Finance, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza during his 2019/20 Budget Speech on Thursday.

“This is as a result of poor economic performance,” said Xhakaza.

Property rates will see an increase of 7.5% and depending on the usage of electricity and consumption, residents will pay between 13.07 percent and 13.87 percent, he said.

Xhakaza said it was concerning that revenue from electricity tariffs had been underwhelming.

If the situation was not arrested, the City of Ekurhuleni would struggle to cross-subsidize the poor.

According to Xhakaza, water tariff increases would see a 15 percent increase. This was equal to that announced by Rand Water.

Hot on its heels would be the increase of sanitation tariffs, which will increase by 11 percent.

Xhakaza said this is informed by the