Monday: ‘Dear Cape Town’ Drought Tariff Feedback Deadline
To the over 3000 people who list themselves as Cape Town residents on my Love Knysna Facebook page, please note that the DEADLINE FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE DROUGHT TARIFF the City of Cape Town wants to impose on you is Midnight, this Monday, January 15.
The Dear Cape Town website is a fantastic tool for you to effectively have your say, whether complaint or suggestion, whilst standing together with thousands of your fellow residents.
Dear Cape Town states that:
The City of Cape Town has suffered revenue losses due to valiant water conservation efforts by us as concerned residents. Adding a punitive drought charge onto our monthly bills to recover monetary losses is counterproductive and, quite frankly, a slap in the face for us all. Forcefully restricting water usage will give rise to an increase in cartel-like water syndicates and quite possibly promote corruption within the existing administration.
Instead of biting the hand that feeds by punishing Cape Town residents, the City should focus its energy and efforts on prioritising their operations and cutting down on unnecessary expenses.
The city has not shown adequate evidence of attempts to seek alternative revenue from sources other than the residents of Cape Town.
We have recently been subjected to stiff water tariff increases along with the R400,000 property value cutoff which resulted in a 74% electricity tariff hike for 100,000 households.
No affordability study has been conducted amongst Cape Town residents which has resulted in a hasty and poorly researched solution.
Why not make use of revenue provided for the installation of restrictive water meters – currently rolling out 2000 per week at R4,732 each?