Marianne Merten
Township homes in Hermanus, a seaside resort near Cape Town, are being auctioned off because of service arrears dating back to 1994 despite an innovative “pay as you use” scheme meant to ensure access to water for everyone.
This Friday seven homes are on auction in Zwelihle; six homes went under the hammer last month. Community workers fear the only people interested in buying these houses are drug dealers and illegal shebeen owners.
About 200 households in the Mount Pleasant community also received lawyer’s letters, but it is understood auctions were stayed after discussions between community representatives and the council.
Hermanus is a holiday playground for the rich and a prime viewing site for whale waters in the spring. But unemployment is staggeringly high up to 70% in Zwelihle, where it is estimated that almost two-thirds of residents still have no access to water.
The Greater Hermanus Water Conservation Project covering Hermanus, its townships and Hawston is a joint initiative launched three years ago by the municipality and the national government’s Working for Water programme. Under the slogan “Some for All for Ever”, the project is based on block tariffs, much like the Durban Metro scheme: the more you use the more you pay. There is an indigent tariff for those earning less than R800 a month and pensioners, and a sub-economic rate for residents with a monthly income of up to R1?500.
But an evaluation report on the project identifies the failure to deal with arrears, lack of information on the indigent policy and tensions between the council treasurer and engineer.
In one case a resident moved into his home and found he was already in arrears with payments he was billed for water used while his house was under construction. His home is being auctioned on Friday.
Hermanus has been merged with Kleinmond/Hangklip, Stanford and Gansbaai where the programme does not apply to form the Overstrand council following last year’s local government election. In its election campaign the Democratic Alliance, which controls the new council, promised free basic services.
This week widespread concern over the auctions emerged.
Dr Guy Preston, adviser to Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs Ronnie Kasrils, said he would meet council representatives to discuss the matter. National government invested millions of rands to ensure fair access to water and the efficient and sustainable use of water.
“A basic human need issue [water] is being used for a serious, serious, serious contravention of human rights,” said Robyn Stein, visiting professor of natural resources law and development at the University of the Witwatersrand.
She said that auctioning off people’s houses to recoup outstanding arrears raises serious questions about how basic human needs are regarded. The right of access to water, health services, sanitation and housing are all enshrined in the Constitution and statutes like the Water Services Act. A Constitutional Court ruling in October established the state’s duty to implement proper programmes to achieve this.
Overstrand mayor Willem Smuts said the auctions were “in line with the credit policy of Hermanus”. Next Wednesday’s executive meeting would discuss revising each policy of the previously independent councils.
Neither town manager Abel Erasmus nor treasurer Nico Barnard were available for comment. Their secretaries said Erasmus “has not been delegated the authority to make media statements” and Barnard “can’t give you any comment”.
The government estimates that eight million people in rural areas do not have access to clean water, while 20-million lack adequate sanitation. It also admitted its aim to provide access to water to all by 2007 is unrealistic.
The Hermanus project assessment report said access to water has not improved and often has worsened with the change from a flat rate to monthly billing.
Debt and arrears have hampered implementation. According to the report the council cannot distinguish between debt accumulated prior to 1994, when the nearby township areas were merged with the white council, and those dated afterwards. It claims a R2,6-million once-off payment from the national government to improve services in Zwelihle was instead used to settle debts accumulated by the former white council.
Zwelihle residents said they are not opposed to paying for services or settling their debts.
“No one can afford to pay R8 000. We don’t have that kind of money. But when you go to the municipality to make arrangements to pay R150 or R200 they chase you away and then cut the water and electricity,” said an unnamed resident in the report.
A council official, who preferred not to be named, said poorer communities have not been informed about the block tariffs. Information pamphlets are printed in English or Afrikaans only.
It is unclear how indigence is assessed for purposes of the block tariff. It appears much depends on whether a household owns a fridge, stove, geyser or clothing accounts. For example, one woman, who had received hand-me-down appliances from her employer, was disqualified.