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Ward 89 councillor says ‘this can be a once-off cost and fee is obligatory’.
Multiple property homeowners throughout Johannesburg have been hit with an sudden cost of R1 083.63 on their July 2025 charges and taxes accounts.
According to metropolis officers, this quantity represents a backdated threshold rebate adjustment that has elevated month-to-month payments by greater than a thousand rand.
The cost impacts residents who personal a second property within the metropolis, with these proudly owning greater than two properties doubtlessly going through the identical R1 083.63 cost for every extra property past their main residence.
City of Johannesburg obligatory one-time fee
Ward 89 councillor Zander Shawe defined the cost to residents in his ward, saying that “this quantity represents a backdated threshold rebate for the interval from July to November 2024, calculated at R216.72 per 30 days for 5 months, totalling R1 083.60”.
Shawe emphasised that “this can be a one-time cost and fee is obligatory”.
He additional famous that the three-cent distinction within the whole is probably going attributable to rounding off.
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Policy implementation challenges
The metropolis of Johannesburg confirmed on Wednesday that the costs stem from the implementation of its 2024-25 property rates coverage, which got here into impact on 1 July 2024.
However, billing system upgrades prevented town from correctly implementing sure elements of the coverage till November 2024.
According to town, beneath the Municipal Property Rates Act and town’s charges coverage, the primary R300 000 of all residential property values is exempt from score.
“For residential property homeowners with a number of properties, the property with the very best worth will obtain the complete residential threshold rebate.
“For extra properties, the rebate might be capped at R15 000,” town stated.
City of Johannesburg system improve delays
The metropolis defined that “attributable to billing system upgrades, town carried out part 6.3.5 of the 2024-25 property charges coverage from November 2024.”
This delay necessitated retrospective changes relationship again to the coverage’s unique implementation date.
“Due to this problem, town must do retrospective changes from 1 July 2024, which marks the implementation date of the 2024/25 property charges coverage,” town defined.
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Payment plans obtainable
Recognising the monetary impression on residents, town has indicated that affected accounts might be adjusted over the approaching months.
“The metropolis does recognize that this may increasingly have a monetary impression on its clients, subsequently fee plans will be organized with town,” officers stated.
The threshold rebate coverage excludes properties beforehand labeled as ‘sectional title different’, together with garages, maids’ quarters, or safety homes and particularly removes the rebate profit from second and subsequent properties owned by single homeowners inside the metropolis boundaries.
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