27 February 2008

THE Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has embarked on indigent registration drive which will see poor households receiving free basic services.

Indigent households which register for the services will qualify for 12 kilolitres of free water and 100 kilowatts of electricity per month.

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development, Sonto Thipe, said he hoped to register 90 000 indigent households by the end of June.

"We would like to address the plight of our poor residents and to provide them with affordable and basic services.

"We therefore urge those who qualify to register and also to inform others of the registration process," said Thipe.

Households are considered indigent if the total gross monthly income of all the members of the household does not exceed R1 700 a month.

According to Statistics South Africa 2001 figures, there are 98 000 households who qualify as indigents in Tshwane and only half of these are registered

In June last year, the municipality introduced an overall rebate system on property rates for poorer households, those using residential property exclusively as homes and facilities such as old-age homes and those caring for the disabled.

Registered indigents with property worth R10 000 and less did not pay property tax and if the property of such families is worth more, a 25 percent rebate applies.

Source: BuaNews