DA requests delay for Jo'burg rate hikes

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has called on the city to delay the implementation of the new Municipal Property Rates Act due in July this year.

About 85 000 property owners in Johannesburg may face rate hikes of up to 500% if the city follows ratios in the draft regulations policy released by the Provincial and Local Government Department.

Municipal rates have to be calculated on the combined value of land and improvements on it.

Eskom solution
Meanwhile the DA will present an alternative plan tomorrow to help deal with the electricity crisis in South Africa. The DA says the steps announced by Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica and Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin on Friday do not go far enough.

The party says its alternative plan will outline a number of detailed and innovative solutions. The DA believes its proposals, if properly implemented, would help ensure that the power situation at least in the medium term is greatly improved.

The government's intervention plan announced on Friday includes measures like rationing, incentives, penalties, replacement of incandescent with fluorescent lights, and conversion of all robots to solar power.

Construction delayed by load shedding
One of the country's biggest construction company, Group Five, says its projects are already affected by the current Eskom's load shedding and the electricity shortage means further delays are unavoidable. New developments in the Johannesburg area have almost come to a standstill due to a lack of electricity.

The hardest hit areas include Bryanston, north of the city, where two substations are currently running on full capacity. This means the two substations cannot supply any additional electrical power for new developments.