Dr P J Groenewald 6 Mar 2014 hansard
Agb Voorsitter, u behoort 'n rel te maak dat opruiende toesprake soos die een wat die agb lid gelewer het nie in die Huis toelaatbaar is nie. [Gelag.] As ons gaan kyk na wetgewing oor eiendomsbelasting wat met munisipaliteite verband hou, sien ons dat dit in 1999 begin is. Hoekom betaal mense belasting? Jy betaal belasting omdat jy 'n diens verwag van die instelling aan wie jy dit betaal. Voorheen was eiendomsbelasting wat munisipaliteite hef, gebaseer op 'n munisipale waardasie van die erf en het jy daardie belasting betaal, want daar moet 'n waterpunt wees en daar moet 'n kragpunt wees.
Dit het vir almal gegeld. Die koste was vir almal dieselfde. Hoe groter die erf, hoe meer het jy betaal. Nou gaan dit nie net oor die koste om 'n punt daar te kry nie, dit gaan ook oor die verbetering van die erf.
Die VF Plus s dat dit onbillik is. Hoekom is dit onbillik? Dis onbillik, want voorheen het jy dieselfde koste betaal om die punt op jou erf te kry. As jy 'n groter woning daarop sit en jy gebruik meer krag of meer water, dan betaal jy meer vir jou dienste. Dit is die korrekte beginsel. Dit het altyd goed gewerk.
Hoe het die probleem ontstaan? Die probleem het ontstaan omdat dienstegeld nie betaal word nie. Die ANC is die oorsaak daarvan, want hulle het die "civic organisations" gebruik om mense aan te moedig om nie te betaal nie. Nou pluk hulle die vrugte, want wat jy saai, sal jy maai. Dit is presies wat deesdae gebeur.
Nou kom die munisipaliteite met wanbesteding van geld, en in hierdie stadium beloop die agterstallige dienstegeld 'n reusebedrag van ongeveer R86 miljard rand. Dis amper twee keer die totale verdedigingsbegroting van Suid-Afrika.
Nou moet die melkkoeie ingespan word. Die mense wat wonings het, word nou gemelk, want die ander mense betaal nie vir hulle dienste nie, die amptenare mors die geld, en die stadsrade is onbevoeg en korrupsie vind plaas. Hulle moet dus 'n ander bron van inkomste uit die mense kry.
Dit is hoekom hierdie wetsontwerp op die tafel is. Melk die wit koei! Die agb Minister het gepraat van die swart koei en die wit koei. Kom ons melk die wit koei! Laat hulle betaal! [Tussenwerpsels.]
Dit is verkeerd. Ons moet van die idee van ryk en arm wegbeweeg. Ons moet na die punt beweeg waar jy moet betaal as jy dienste wil h. Jy kan nie mense wat vir hul dienste betaal toelaat om mense te subsidieer wat nie wil betaal nie. Daarom sal die VF Plus nie hierdie wetsontwerp ondersteun nie. Ek dank u. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, you should make a ruling that speeches that are as inciting as the one the hon member just delivered should not be allowed in the House. [Laughter.]
If we take a look at legislation on property rates in as far as municipalities are concerned, we notice that it started in 1999. Why do people pay rates? People pay rates because they expect services from the institution that they make these payments to. Property rates levied by municipalities had previously been based on a municipal valuation of the erf and you had to pay those rates, because provision had to be made for power and water supply points.
That applied to everyone. The costs had been the same across the board. The bigger the size of the erf, the higher the rates you had to pay. However, currently it is not only about the costs to get a supply point installed, but it is also about improvements to the erf.
The FF Plus is of the opinion that this is unfair. Why is it unfair? It is unfair, because previously you paid the same amount to get a supply point on your erf. Should you then build a bigger dwelling on that erf and you use more electricity or more water, then you have to pay more for your services. That is the correct principle. It had always worked well.
How did the problem originate? The problem originated because of the nonpayment of service fees. The ANC has caused this, because they have used the civic organisations to encourage people not to make payments. Now they are reaping the fruits, because whatever you sow, you shall reap. That is precisely what is happening these days.
The municipalities are now experiencing misappropriation of funds, and the arrears on service fees have escalated to an alarming amount of about R86 billion at this stage. This is almost twice the total defence budget of South Africa.
Now we must make use of the milk cows. We have to milk those people who are home owners, because other people are not paying for services, officials are wasting money, and the city councils are incompetent and corruption is taking place. Therefore they have to look at getting another source of income from people.
That is why this Bill is currently being tabled. Milk the white cow! The hon Minister talked about the black cow and the white cow. Let us milk the white cow! Make them pay! [Interjections.]
It is wrong. We have to move away from the idea of rich and poor. We have to move towards a situation where you have to pay for the services required. You cannot allow people who pay for their services to subsidise those people who are not willing to pay for theirs. Therefore, the FF Plus will not support this Bill. I thank you. [Interjections.]]