By Gcina Ntsaluba
The Makana Citizens Front (MCF), ratepayers, business owners, and property owners have resolved to embark on a class action to submit objections concerning aspects of a faulty property valuation roll issued by the Makana Municipality.
Most properties on the west side of Makhanda have been assigned decreased valuations, and a large number of properties are missing. “If your property is not listed, it is advisable to object, as you don’t know what value you could be assigned,” said MCF Councillor Professor Philip Machanick.
He continued to say, “Although we could overturn the whole process due to various technical violations, such as the valuer not being a registered company, pragmatically, it makes more sense to be efficient about objections.”
MCF Chairman Lungile Mxube said that all residents, property owners, and business people who wish to join have until 31 March 2025. “All should collect objection forms, complete, and send them to Machanick,” said Mxube. He also stated that Attorney Brin Brody of Wheeldon Rushmere and Cole would represent the MCF and file all objections as one application before 18 April 2025.
“The MCF shall pursue other matters both internally within the municipality, and, where necessary, engage other independent bodies such as the Public Protector to investigate cases of maladministration, the irregular and unlawful appointment of a de-registered company, and to bring a motion in Council to stop any payments to this company pending clarification and verification of its legal compliance status,” Mxube told Grocott’s Mail. He added that the MCF would convene a follow-up public community meeting for updates and progress on 31 March 2025.
Mxube said the MCF would further intensify its water signature campaign to secure 200,000 signatures to pressure both the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Presidency to institute a forensic audit, so citizens can understand what happened to the R700 million allocated to the city to resolve the water crisis.
“MCF will ask the Auditor-General to return to Makana to conduct a special audit and issue a certificate of debt against the Accounting Officer (the municipal manager) to recover taxpayers’ money wasted through unauthorized, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure from responsible officials, including the MM,” he said.
Machanick mentioned that Brody would charge no fees for bringing the case, but if it becomes necessary to use a professional valuer, the individual will have to pay for that. “It’s not worth objecting for a minor discrepancy… township properties are more likely to have significant increases; even those who do not pay rates should consider objecting, as they may eventually need a rates clearance to sell their property,” he said.
