City property to be valued
By Nangamso Mabindla
28 February 2008
ALL properties in Buffalo City will be valued as part of the municipality's General Valuation process.
The City launched its General Valuation on Wednesday, 27 February at an East London beachfront hotel. Executive Mayor Zintle Peter, City management, business owners, property agents, the farmers' association and other stakeholders attended.
It comes in the wake of the Municipal Property Rates Act, a national law that regulates the power of a municipality to value and rate immovable property within its boundaries.
Speaking about the General Valuation, Peter said that it was an important process that would help the City to improve its delivery of services. "This process will revoke the unfair system of the past and enable us to value property correctly. I want to appeal to property owners to avail themselves so that this process is smooth and successful."
The general valuation of properties would affect the way properties were billed by the municipality. "We will know what rates to charge in different areas - this will mean more revenue for the City and that, in turn, will mean improved service delivery for the people of Buffalo City," Peter added.
Residential areas like Mdantsane will be valued in order for the city to rate them
accurately
To ensure accuracy, the 160 000 properties in Buffalo City would be separated into different categories - residential, sectional title, non-residential, special use (airport, port and large factories), agriculture, and service infrastructure.
Properties like farms, which were not valued before, would now be valued. However, the City's chief financial officer, Brian Shepherd, said that farmers would be given enough time to comment on the results.
"Before finishing the process, we will invite people to comment or object to the results. And, people will be given enough time because the legislation says that we need to have a phased approach to how we deal with properties like farms."
Data collectors will start visiting properties on 1 July, with the entire General Valuation expected to be completed by 1 July 2009. In order to avoid the possibility of bogus collectors, City data collectors will be identified by a specially designed identity card with their names, identity number and designation. They will be signed by the municipal manager, Gaster Sharpley.
They will be visiting homes between 8am and 8pm.
Contact us:
