Although many positive words were spoken this week in the Mayor’s budget speech all this remains rather bleak, with the looming rise in Eskom tariffs.
In short, the rates and taxes people pay almost daily are being dealt a bloody blow. Last week the repo rate again increased, the petrol price remains extreme, food prices rise by the week and so on.
All citizens will now be forced to tighten their belts, as a dark economic cloud hovers above our heads.
And now especially property owners will be paying dearly come 1 July just to keep a roof over their heads.
Not to mention the already extremely high property rates after the huge increases after the evaluations of two years ago.
We should, however, probably be grateful that the electricity tariffs have not risen to the expected 18%+, but the 15,1% rise will see all resident digging very deep into their pockets for power.
In general, these announcements are of great concern to the community which is already paying exorbitant prices just to survive.
And more concerning too is the fact that 60% of Drakenstein residents are indigent and thus rely on free municipal services.
One cannot help but wonder how much longer the 40% of residents can foot this bill?
