Municipal valuations up to 400% higher – not acceptable [Letter to the editor]

Rustenburg – I was looking at the new property valuations advertised on www.rustenburg.gov.za and I found it completely out of this world and unacceptable. This while everyone knows that property prices are at an all time low. If you think that is it, hold on to your hat, property prices will be on this downward spiral for the next year or so. A decrease in property rates would have made sense.

Properties are now 200%, 300%, 400% higher than the last valuations. On what basis are the properties being valued? Homeowners will never accept these ridiculous over-the-top valuations. They were supposed to interview each owner one-on-one. How can these values be so high? It’s the owners’ property and not the councils’. It was built with the owners’ blood, sweat, money, tears, bonds and stress.

Properties that were valued at R1.2 million five years ago are now valued at R5 million others were valued R840,000 are now R2.4 million. Furthermore, nearly every week there are bad service delivery issues, if it’s not water disruptions then it’s no electricity and Zinniaville and Karlienpark now looks like a third world country.

The valuations with the terrible state the country is in economically are adding to our woes. the COVID-19 virus would not it be best to rather It would be better to postpone this monstrous valuation till next year, when community members can partake in the process.

Baba Saloojee