Drought levy proposal scrapped after ‘massive outcry’

Cape Town mayor,Patricia de Lille announced during a council meeting last Friday that the proposed drought levy would be scrapped. In terms of the proposed drought levy, Capetonians wouldhave had to temporarily pay a fixed rate of R150 a month to make up for the City’s R1.6bn loss in revenue from reduced water consumption. Janine Myburgh, president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), told FTW that there was no justification for a levy. “The water shortage is a result of poor council planning.” Legal experts also questioned the legality of the city implementing a levy when the constitution provided for national government to manage water and not local government. De Lille acknowledged the “massive outcry” over the “unfairness” of the levy. “We are now going to have to make deep cuts to important projects,” she said. De Lille emphasised however that “Day Zero” was looming large which was why the City would implement level 6B water restrictions from 1 February. Detailed plans for the “eventuality” of the City’s Day Zero contingency plans are expected to be released this week. The City of Cape Town is pulling out all the stops to hold off Day Zero and has launched an interactive water map which is regularly updated to track ongoing water usage. Day Zero will come when dam levels reach 13.5% and most taps will be turned off. This date is currently set at 22 April 2018.