Browsing by Author "May, Annette"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Finding the balance: Fairness and equity, disconnections, credit control and debt collection
    (Local Government Bulletin, 2012-06) May, Annette
    While service delivery is one of the most important functions of local government, the Municipal Systems Act and case law make it clear that the duty to collect revenue and service fees and equally important to ensure financial and environmental sustainability of service delivery. The importance of debt collection was recently highlighted in the National Treasury's latest Local Government Revenue and Expenditure Report. The report indicates that approximately R76.6. billion is collectively owed to municipalities in consumer debt, with households accounting for the largest component of such debtors (R49.9 billion). The disconnection of services in terms of credit control and debt collection policies and by-laws is therefore one of the most important tools that municipalities are able to use in dealing with rising consumer debt.
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    Formulating the pillars of a turnaround strategy About Previous issues
    (Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009) Steytler, Nico; de Visser, Jaap; May, Annette
    The turnaround strategy (TAS) for local government is gaining momentum. Initiated by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CGTA), the TAS is aimed at identifying the drivers of the distress in local government and the mechanisms needed to effectively and efficiently address them. The urgency with which the distress in local government is viewed is evident in the express commitment of both Minister Shiceka and President Zuma to the TAS. The political will to see this process through, therefore, seems to exist. However, to yield different and more substantial results from that of similar prior processes, it must contain certain key elements.
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    Lessons from Carolina: Acid mine drainage, access to water and intergovernmental relations
    (Local Government Bulletin, 2012-10) May, Annette
    Initiatives such as the Blue Drop and Green Drop certification programmes indicate government's commitment to improving the quality of drinking water. However, while many municipalities have made progress, there are still problems in the supply and quality of drinking water, particularly in rural areas. Residents' attempts in Mpumalanga to compel municipalities to provide a regular supply of safe drinking water were highlighted in three recent related High Court judgments.
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    The withholding of rates and taxes in five local municipalities
    (Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2010) Powell, Derek; May, Annette; Ntliziywana, Phindile
    The Community Law Centre, in partnership with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and SALGA, recently completed a research project on the phenomenon of rates withholding in five South African municipalities. 'Rates withholding' is the practice by ratepayers of withholding their property rates and, in some cases, fees for municipal services because they believe that municipalities are not delivering. We argue that this practice, though less visible than service delivery protests, is equally destructive.