Rustenburg

[Martinco]

On E Nuus night before last:

"The rate payers of Rustenburg owe the council 3.1 BILLION Rand in arrears."

Now I ask you how can a small city like Rtb. ( We are actually a City ! ) survive with this sort of outstanding debt ?

It simply does not make sense.

Some sites claim the population to be 1,000,000 and others 250,000. so, your guess is as good as mine as to the correct figure but the fact remains, only a few of us must keep the ball rolling while others enjoy the benefit.
What is also amazing is the number of real flashy cars roaming the streets originating from the "not so well of" areas.
Well..........I guess life is not supposed to be fair !

[KimH]

I wonder when last a proper population survey was done in SA - would be interesting to know how many of us actually inhabit this country. Take it a step further and compare that to how many of us in the working age group pay taxes... wishful thinking on my part neh

[Dave A]

I wonder when last a proper population survey was done in SA?

2001. The next census is planned for this year.

[wynn]

Its about time the Gubbamint did away with personal tax, rates and service fees and increased VAT to take up the shortfall.

Sure they would have to zero rate essential foodstuffs (bread, certain meat, veggies, milk and samp/maize meal etc.) and increase pensions and grants to put the benificiaries and the very poor in the same position as before and perhaps grant certain institutions a rebate/refund on the VAT that they do pay

This way everybody will contribute to the fiscus according to their spend on VATable products, the shebeen queens, the thieves, the hawkers and the millions of earners that fall outside the tax net (even the poor if they buy booze or smokes)

[Martinco]

Correction

Just a correction........I have now established via a "contact" in the council that the amount is closer to R 1,3 bil. Somebody got their figures mixed up but this does not change my point at all. It is still unacceptable !
Just imagine, if it does not get stolen before, how many potholes, stop signs, road markings, streetlights and what have you, can be fixed with this sort of money.
No wonder our CBD looks like a pigsty !