The DA’s motion tabled in October 2024, has resulted in the Bela Bela Local Municipality’s Credit Control Policy being amended to ensure vacant property owners will no longer pay availability charges and will only pay for services rendered to the property, after the municipal council passed the annual budget for 2025-2026 financial year on Thursday 29 May.
The DA had been overwhelmed with complaints from residents about certain tariffs being levied on vacant land. After studying the credit control policy thoroughly, it became clear that owners were being charged for services that do not exist — termed as availability charges.
These charges were levied to the municipal accounts, without there being any connected services to the property, nor any municipal infrastructure, such as water or electricity meters, to measure consumption. For instance, residents found it unfair that they were being billed for household waste collection, yet there was no activity on the property.
The DA tabled a motion to have the policy amended. The DA’s standpoint evolved around Section 195 of the Constitution that services be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias. Residents should only pay for what they use, and to only pay property tax associated with the category under which vacant land is placed — in terms of the tariff structure of the municipality.
It was officially announced last Thursday, that the credit control policy has been amended and that vacant property owners will, for the coming financial year, only pay for services rendered to the property.
The only challenge that lies ahead is that the municipality’s administration has not yet conceded to providing incentives for the accounts that are in arrears as a result of availability charges.
The DA encourages all affected vacant property owners in the Bela-Bela local municipality to email DA Councillor, Andries van der Heyde, at andriespos@gmail.com for assistance in petitioning the municipal management to take each land owner’s situation into account.