Yvonne Taylor, Edgemead
The letter from John Darne (“Drought levy,” Tabletalk, December 13) refers. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Darne: this proposed water levy is totally unacceptable.
I am a widow, pensioner, self-supporting with no-one to lean on for financial help.
I bought my house 22 years ago, and the costs thereof have escalated beyond all imagination.
However, all my adult life I have paid my way, never owed a cent to anyone. And now this is the reward I get for doing my bit!
The municipality is a disaster these days. I used to be a keen supporter of the DA, but my confidence in their ability to deliver has waned.
Whenever money is needed, the ratepayers are landed with another hefty bill to pay.
We’ve already lost our free 6kl of water per month; on top of that is the Eskom rip-off, which we have all had to pay for in one way or another; then there are the exorbitant rates that increase annually. What is the municipality doing with all our money?
Obviously they have no idea how to budget wisely, with the result that, once again, householders are being squeezed for more money.
We just can’t win – if we use too much water, we are penalised; now we’re not using enough so have to fill the City’s coffers.
Just how much more do they think we can pay out? And the proposed three-year term for the levy is just nonsense – we all know that come 2021 “they” will find another reason to extend the robbery; or at the very least pass another law making it legal to extend it.
Most of us are doing our best to save water and live economically, belts have tightened so much we’ve practically strangled ourselves.
This constant imposition of levies and money-grabbing ideas has to stop – now.
We’re all battling to survive these days, and just can’t afford to keep on paying out for no visible, tangible rewards.