SAPOA's legal challenge against CoCT tariffs has excellent arguments

CAPE TOWN - Social justice group, Stop City of Cape Town (Stop CoCT), said it had received numerous complaints about the city's new property tariffs.

The South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA) made an urgent high court application this week to have the tariffs reviewed and set aside.

The city has since slammed SAPOA's court bid, saying it's an attempt to protect their own vested interests.

ALSO READ: Stop CoCT welcomes SAPOA court bid challenging municipality's property tariffs

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said SAPOA represented the country’s wealthiest property owners who wanted to be charged the same as low-income families.

Hill-Lewis said the increased tariffs were to fund infrastructure projects in the city.

"Now, as we are trying to fund more infrastructure to make our city better and extend better services to more people, they want to stop it."

Stop CoCT chaiperson, Sandra Dickson, said there had been widespread complaints related to the city's new tariffs.

"This legal challenge to the City of Cape Town by SAPOA has excellent legal arguments and intend to prove that the city has acted outside the legal framework when these fixed charges were invented."

SAPOA has reserved its right to comment until the court matter concludes.