“Gives us the services we pay for!” demanded Durban ratepayers during a placard protest on the Durban Beachfront on Saturday.
The North Beach Ratepayers Association (NBRA), in affiliation with the eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM), voiced their concerns about poor service delivery.
The ERPM members walked along the Durban Beachfront protesting against double-digit tariff increases and demanding a functioning Durban that works for all.
They also protested against unsustainable tariff increases, poor service delivery, and a lack of transparency and accountability.
Asad Gaffar, chairperson of the ERPM, also spoke about the 50% rebate currently on offer and what the way forward is concerning the impending tariff increases.
Rookaya Vawda, chairperson of NBRA, encouraged residents to unite and speak with one voice against poor service delivery.
Vawda said residents, not only on the beachfront but also in the suburbs, need to be proactive and join their local ratepayer movement.
Vawda expressed concern that, despite paying for services, ratepayers had to fight with city officials over basic service delivery issues.
She said that the NBRA has created a service delivery WhatsApp group where residents are encouraged to bring forth problems with a reference number so that they can escalate the complaint and have it fixed within a certain timeframe.
“There is a broken line of communication between eThekwini departments. If we, as ratepayers, do not escalate matters, some will be left unattended for months, even years. This includes road repairs where rubble is left on the pavement by contractors for months on end,” she said.
Vawda said the park in the area had been fenced with limited access and poor playground equipment, pointing out that a quiet, less frequently used road had been resurfaced when it did not require any repairs, yet the main roads have road surface problems.
“We want the municipality to listen to us and our plight. We also want oversight on who is receiving tenders for work done in our area, so we can have some oversight. Municipal workers are often found collecting overtime for work that is not done properly or for attending to flower beds on Sundays or public holidays.”
Vawda said all flat owners are paying R40 towards the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS), which is mandated to resolve disputes in residential blocks but fails to do so.
Ntsiki Majola, from Illovo, who had been walking on the promenade with his two children, was informed about the purpose of the placard protest.
“Enough is enough, we cannot keep paying for services that we do not receive. I am paying for water, electricity, and taxes. We have heard that the municipality wants to build a rehabilitation centre in Illovo without consulting residents. Our concern is our safety because of the type of people they will bring to Illovo from the Durban CBD and elsewhere,” Majola said.
Gaffar added: “All proposed tariff adjustments must be suspended until there is clear evidence of improved service delivery and proper use of current revenue. The municipality must provide full disclosure on how previous tariffs were allocated, with a detailed plan for how any future increases would be used.”
The municipality revised several proposed tariff increases, following an extensive public participation process held from April 22 to 17 May 17, 2025.
Key adjustments for the 2025/26 financial year include:
- Assessment Rates: The increase reduced from 6.5% to 5.9%
- Water Tariff: Residential increase reduced from 15% to 13%, and business from 16% to 14%
- Sanitation Tariff: Residential increase reduced from 13% to 11%, and business from 14% to 12%.
- Refuse Tariff: Domestic increase reduced from 9.9% to 9%.
- Electricity Tariff: Set at a 12.72% increase, as guided by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
