Hill-Lewis slams SAPOA for making urgent court bid to set aside CoCT property tariffs

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has slammed the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA) for making an urgent high court application to have property tariffs implemented by the City of Cape Town set aside.

Hill-Lewis said that SAPOA's court bid was an attempt to protect their own vested interests and puts their profits ahead of the people of Cape Town. 

SAPOA is challenging the city’s cleaning levy and its fixed charges for water and sanitation, which were implemented from 1 July.

Hill-Lewis said SAPOA represented the country’s wealthiest property owners who had benefited significantly from Cape Town’s functionality.

The mayor criticised the association for saying the city should charge billionaire property owners the same as low-income families.

"This would be regressive, would place a disproportionate burden on ordinary families and would be patently unfair."  

SAPOA filed papers in the Western Cape High Court this week, saying the city went outside the national legal framework to impose its municipal rates and taxes.

SAPOA CEO Neil Gopal said the association would reserve its right to comment until after the court matter was finalised.