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Located in the mountains surrounding Cape Town's downtown core, Bo-Kaap is considered a real estate property and investors and developers spend millions of dollars on the property.
But the Bo-Kaap community has many residents who are inherited from valuable property, but do not earn enough income to make ends meet. And because the rates are based on property sales, these residents have become more vulnerable, reports GroundUp.
"Investors do not care about you, your history and your culture, they buy houses, renovate them and sell them." Shamil Jbadiem, a Bo-Kaap resident who has lived all his life
"For them, everything is money, but for those who have lived and died here, there is something else that READ: Bo-Kaap and gentrification: when your home becomes a tourist attraction
"I was born in Lion Street, we were like a family on My aunt stayed next to us, my uncle stayed there," says Faiza Larney, 68 years old.
"I will never leave this place because everyone knows everyone and it's a safe place to stay. get sick on the road, they will know exactly where I stay and with whom to communicate. "
Larney owns her three bedroom apartment on Jordaan Street, where she lived for 36 years, lives with her daughter, two sons and two grandchildren, and her husband bought the house and when died ten years ago, she inherited it, she says that she wants her children to inherit the house.
But Larney says her rate account is "backlogged at R6,000." worked as an office badistant and retired two years ago
She receives 300 rand from her government pension and 3 000 rand from her private pension, her daughter works as a supermarket manager and financially supports her mother. 19659010] Amina White, Fouzia Daniels and Faiza Larney (left to right) on Jordaan Street (Barry Christianson, GroundUp)
The property rates cover all the services provided by the Cape Town, at l. exclusion of water and sanitation, electricity and electricity t This includes the maintenance of road infrastructure, traffic and street lights, and fire services.
As an example of rising property prices in Bo-Kaap, let's take Katherine (last name retained). She bought a house up on Jordaan Street for "just under 200,000 rand" in 1999.
"I do not want to move to these dangerous places"
She said that she was valued at R1.6 million in 2017, a return of more than 12% a year, well above inflation. It was a brilliant investment. She lived there until 2003, before moving to Johannesburg to work. She kept the cottage and now rents it to a couple for R9,000 a month. She says that the property is 99m2, including the courtyard and the stoep before.
Nabeweya Abdullah, 76, lives two blocks away, on Lion Street and like Larney, was born in Bo-Kaap
monthly pension. But his rates and water bill last month were 750 rand.
"It just gets worse," she says. Abdullah's father bought the house. He is dilapidated because she can not afford to maintain it. She inherited the house after her father died in 2010.
Abdullah says she's received many offers for her private property, but that she does not want to sell.
"We are a peaceful and safe community I do not want to go to these dangerous places, I do not know this life," says Abdulla. "I would prefer to have a job, work my fingers up to the next day. age 76 and repair this house. "
She says her daughter works for the police and lives with her, supporting her financially.
Nabeweya Abdullah, a 76-year-old retiree at her home on Lion Street. [19659022] (Barry Christianson, GroundUp)
While GroundUp was talking to Abdullah, another resident, Shafiek Booley, stopped to say hello.
"We have grew up together in this street and we, "said Abdullah pointing to Booley
. Booley, 55, also lives in Lion Street and says that he was born and raised in the Bo-Kaap. He says he bought the house that he lives at his parents' house 35 years ago for 70,000 rand, and says it's now worth "about 3 million rand", an increase of more than 11% per year.
"I was the second youngest, and my older siblings already had homes, so we agreed that I would buy the house to my family … It worked for us .
Booley says his rates are currently R300 per month.
"Five years ago, it was R600.I only keep my head out of the water, as long as I put food on the table for the kids, c & rsquo; Is everything, but we are fighting. "
to live in carpentry and welding. He has five children
"I made the promise to my children that this house should never be sold because it means selling our inheritance, our religion, everything."
Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest Muslim communities.
"Whenever they tell me something different"
District Councilor Brandon Golding states, "As a city, we understand that the rates and fees of service may impose an additional financial burden on residents.
He encourages those who qualify for the city rebates, which is a relief for pensioners and indigent earners up to 15,000 rand.
Golding says council considered public comments. cuts rates from 7.2% to 6.5% "for the 2018/19 budget. He says it "should provide relief to residents, especially those in higher property valuation areas, such as Bo-Kaap."
But Larney says she's struggled to ask for discounts.
"I went to the Civic Center twice to try to pay my rates and ask for discounts, whenever they tell me something different," she says.
"First, they told me that I needed my SARS papers and my identity papers … Then, when I came back with that, they I said that I needed a bank statement, the communication is terrible. "
Abdullah says she's currently asking for rebates.
Shamil Jbadiem, 66, has lived in his home on Leeuwen Street since 1955. He believes that the majority of people born and raised in Bo-Kaap do not intend to sell their homes. ( Barry Christianson, GroundUp) "Many lifetime residents have no choice but to sell their family homes because their rates no longer reflect their incomes and "The city has shown little interest in helping Bo-Kaap's blue-collar workers at reasonable prices," says Mikail Baker, of Bo-Kaap Rise, a social movement that advocates that the that artier enjoys an official heritage protection
. If that does not change, more and more residents will have to move.
Golding says council will look for other ways to generate revenue for the City "to reduce the burden on taxpayers." He said that this could be done, for example, by "ensuring that the City receives a fairer share of outdoor parking, commercial space or real estate leases".
How the City calculates the tariffs
"The rates are calculated on each rental property (thus goods exceeding 200 000 rand) in the subway, buildings below 200 000 are not eligible for payment of the tariffs, the first 200,000 are exempted, "says councilor Johan van der Merwe, the member of the city's finance committee.
" The general appraisal estimates about 870,000 properties registered in Cape Town in order to charge fair rates to each owner. "
Van der Merwe says the valuations are based on" actual real estate sales that took place on the open market for a period of two and a half years in a given neighborhood " and that "economic factors, as well as geographical factors, are taken into account".
Osman Shaboodien, president of the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association, said, "Market value is a false formula that is not in the law. interest of the poor. Real value and market value are two different things.
"Sales of real estate are rejected by marketing, Bo-Kaap, for example, is a picturesque and historic place with cobblestone streets and old Dutch houses. Community, noise, limited space, "says Shaboodien
Mardelia Engels lived in this house on Pentz Street for 61 years. Engels and his late brother who owned the Tuck store, and his two other brothers and sisters were born in the house. The house was built in 1863. (Barry Christianson, GroundUp)
Other Ways to Impose Rates
Shamil Jbadiem suggests that residents have the option of a 10-year period during which they pay lower rates, as long as they do not sell the property during this time.
"If you sell your house within 10 years, you could then afford to pay the extra balance of rates that was outstanding," he says. "After 10 years, this responsibility must disappear, so you no longer have to."
He says that because the rates are based on property sales, this could be a way to lighten the burden of residents who have no intention
a system of "inheritance rates" could work. "This would allow residents to stay in line with what they've paid in the past, rather than being in line with the rates of their foreign neighbors who have renovated their homes into luxury multi-million escapes." of rand. "
The City is bound by the Rate Ownership Rate Act.
"Any special derogation should be made by the Minister of Finance and this type of proposal affects the ability of a municipality to increase its revenues.
Igsaan Sirkhotte says that he has lived in Bo-Kaap since 1980. He has worked as a financial consultant and is now retired. He says that he is able to pay his rates because he is in a private pension.
"There does not seem to be any morality involved in decision-making around housing in the city right now … It seems like they're" In the end, my private pension will not be enough to pay rising rates, "says Sirkhotte.
Jbadiem says that he will never leave Bo-Kaap
" My whole story is here. I have no interest in moving elsewhere. I want to live here and when my time comes, I want to die here. "
" Fortunately for me, I manage to pay my rates, but there are many people who can not afford it. They are retired, the pension is very small. If they had to pay the rates, they would not have food to eat. "
He says that for many people who are struggling financially," the attraction of R2m for your home "is a tempting option.
" But you must sacrifice your history and your community to gain financial comfort . And you may not have the choice. "
(Barry Christianson, GroundUp)
The grandson of Mardelia Engels stands at the door and when asked if she plans to sell, Engels replies," Never. When I die, I want to be taken from this house to my grave. "
