The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has requested the Overstrand Municipality to urgently review the implementation of municipal property rates rebates and indigent support criteria, specifically for residents with very low household incomes.
It appears that some residents are being unfairly excluded based on the type of residential structure they occupy.
The policy interpretation regarding caravans, informal structures, and alternative living arrangements must be reviewed to ensure that vulnerable pensioners and indigent residents are not unfairly excluded.
This follows an incident where Mr. Barry Riddle, a resident of Fisherhaven, was denied the appropriate rebate because he does not live in a conventional, permanent structure. He receives a SASSA pension and his household income falls below the qualifying threshold. He currently resides in a caravan situated on his own property.
The municipality’s current interpretation creates an inequality between different categories of vulnerable residents.
Residents living in informal structures, such as shacks, are allowed to receive support, whereas a pensioner who owns a plot of land and lives in a caravan on that property can be excluded – even though he faces the same, if not greater, financial challenges regarding municipal expenses.
The Freedom Front Plus therefore wants to know whether the assessment for the rebate is based on household income and financial need, or primarily on the type of structure being occupied.
If the current policy legally allows a distinction to be made between a person living in a shack and a person living in a caravan on their own property, the Freedom Front Plus insists that this be investigated immediately so that all property owners receive equal treatment.
Overstrand’s current indigent support criteria refers to qualifying households based on income and other conditions, including the occupation of the property as a primary residence.
Rates rebates for pensioners are likewise based on qualifying criteria, including income and primary residency requirements.
The municipality has a responsibility to apply policy consistently and fairly. Vulnerable elderly residents should not be penalized simply because their living arrangements differ from those of other individuals whose financial circumstances are substantially the same.
A person’s poverty status and ability to pay must be properly taken into account.
The Freedom Front Plus therefore requests the speaker to instruct the municipal manager to conduct a full review of Mr. Riddle’s application and circumstances. Furthermore, the party demands written reasons for the refusal or exclusion of the rebate. Vulnerable pensioners cannot be disadvantaged in this manner.
It is of the utmost importance that the Overstrand Municipality ensures municipal relief measures reach those who genuinely need assistance, and that policies are applied in a fair and reasonable manner.
Freedom Front Plus Healthcare: The party advocates for improved healthcare services for all South Africans.
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