Water Tariff Hikes Put Pressure on Cape Town Residents’ Finances

Cape Town’s water tariff leave residents financially drowning. Image: EWN

(The Post News)- Residents in the City of Cape Town claim the water tariff has them struggling to pay the rates given the fact that the cost of living is constantly increasing and South Africans are struggling to stay afloat. Currently, the city has a fixed basic charge, which is attached to the water bill of ratepayers.

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Several residents claim to be unable to live in the city or the city bowl, and now they cannot even afford to pay their rates. This sentiment was shared among residents after Day Zero was avoided, and in the last few months, the city and areas surrounding municipal areas have been flooded on multiple occasions because of the extreme weather conditions.
 
Lulama Benge, a GOOD party councillor in the City of Cape Town, proposed removing the fee in July, but it was rejected. Benge said in a statement issued on the 26th of July, stating that the City of Cape Town needed to explain to its residents as to why they are still playing a fixed water charge that was only supposed to provide temporary relief to the municipality during the drought. 
 
At the time, Benge said the water restrictions imposed due to poor rainfall in 2018 had resulted in greatly reduced revenue from water usage, which impacted the city’s ability to cover the maintenance costs. Former Mayor Patricia De Lille advocated for a temporary drought levy that could be abandoned when the city’s water supply was more secure as a result of water augmentation measures or good rains. Benger further states that the city, or rather DA caucus, opted to rework the water tariff structure and included a fixed component that was absurdly based on the size of the pipes.
 
Benge says punishing the ratepayers at a time they can least afford it by continuing to charge what are in effect drought surcharges when their dams are all full is immoral and had the GOOD party calling on the City of Cape Town to reassess its water tariffs and water plan to ensure the fixed charge be withdrawn and unnecessary pressure be taken off consumers.
 
Councillor Ziahid Badroodien, City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, claims it has always had a water tariff before the drought; however, the fixed basic charge part of the tariff was introduced during the drought. He further adds the fixed basic charge is a necessity so the city can continue paying and providing Cape Town reliable water services, and if removed, it would lead to a significant deficit, and the standard usage part of the tariff would be substantially increased.
 
Badroodien added that the city encourages its residents to contact the city to enter into payment arrangements if they are unable to pay their municipal account, or alternatively apply for indigent benefits as mentioned above.

About the Author

Natalie Semono

Editor

I am Natalie Semono and I am an environmental reporter with a Journalism Studies qualification from Rosebank College. I am passionate about telling impactful stories on climate change, conservation, and environmental justice. With a clear, engaging style, I translate complex issues into narratives that inform and inspire. My reporting aims to amplify underrepresented voices and connect communities with the urgent environmental challenges shaping our world.

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