The City of Johannes-burg (COJ) continues to make major strides to improve service delivery by, among other things,

ensuring a transparent, equitable, just and fair property rates system. To that end, the City has, as pre-scribed by the Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004, as amended (MPRA), made it possible for prop-erty owners of the 879 005 rateable properties within the metropolis to inspect the new 2018 General Valuation Roll (GVR) at any of the selected 12 venues City wide.

To ensure a cost conscious, con-venient and accessible process, the City is strongly urging property owners and interested parties to make use of the online platform on the City’s website www.joburg.org.za to view and if required, lodge an objection.

Johannesburg, which holds pole position as the economic capital and heartbeat of trade and com-merce on the African continent, has made significant concessions and extended the period to inspect the 2018 GVR and lodge objections if necessary to 45 days, an increase of 15 days from the legislated peri-od of 30 days.

This is done in accordance with the Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004, as amended (MPRA), a national legislation that empow-ers municipalities to levy rates. Its purpose is to provide nationwide uniformity, simplicity and certain-ty as well as to take into account historical imbalances and the rates burden on the poor. The MPRA provides that the municipality must set a new date and re-value all properties at least once in every four years. It is important to under-stand that municipalities need a re-liable source of revenue to provide basic services and perform their functions. Revenue from property rates is used to fund services that benefit the community as a whole. These include the construction and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, street lighting and storm drainage

facilities; the building and opera-tion of clinics, parks, recreational facilities, cemeteries, and libraries; as well as the administration of the municipality.

The GVR forms the basis for the levying of property rates and is aimed at assigning a value to all properties within the City with the objective of generating rates on an equitable basis.

Property is valued at market val-ue, which is the amount that the property would have realised if it was sold on the date of valuation in the open market by a willing seller to a willing buyer, as prescribed by Section 46 of the MPRA.

The Property Valuation depart-ment determines the market val-ue and the rating category of a property. The Rates and Taxes de-partment establishes the monthly assessment rates, due by property owners that the City has the right to levy, based on the applicable tariffs that is linked to the rating category and market value of a property. The COJ has the right to collect rates arrears for a period

City of Joburg 2018 General Valuation Roll Published

up to 30 years.For the period 1 July 2018 to 30

June 2022, the 2018 GVR will be open for public inspection effec-tively from 20 February to 6 April 2018 at 12 venues City wide. In terms of the COJ Rates Policy, a threshold of R200 000 is applied to residential properties by the COJ, meaning that the first por-tion of the market value to that amount on a property is exempt-ed. For instance, a property valued at R500 000 will only incur prop-erty rates charges on the R300 000 (that is R500 000 less R200 000).

Putting currency to its promise of pursuing a pro-poor and caring ap-proach, the City of Johannesburg’s property rating system is more le-nient compared to other metros. This represents a major compro-mise by the City when considering the fact that Johannesburg has an estimated population of 4.4 million. [worldpopulationreview.com].

The new 2018 GVR will come into effect on 1 July 2018 and will be based on a valuation date of 1 July, 2017. Current valuations in

the City are based on the previ-ous GVR 2013 enacted on 1 July 2013, based on a valuation date of 2 July 2012.

The City is required to publish a GVR every four years but the term for the 2013 GVR was extended by a further year by powers of the Local Government MEC. The new 2018 GVR will thus be the guide for banks, private valuers, estate agents and other stakeholders in their assessments of property val-ues in the City until 2022.

Further to publishing the GVR every four years, the City publish-es a Supplementary Valuation Roll (SVR) each financial year to update the current valuation roll, as pre-scribed by Section 77 and 78 of the MPRA. The SVR functions to cor-rect/reflect errors, omissions, sub-divisions, consolidations, rezoning, township developments, building alterations, the construction of new buildings and any other exception-al reason that may change or affect the value of a property, subsequent to the compilation of the current valuation roll.

Section 50 of the Municipal Property Rates Act (MPRA), em-powers property owners to exer-cise their right to object to any matter reflected in or omitted from the GVR, or that they may deem to be incorrect. An objection must be in relation to a specific property and not against the Val-uation roll as such. Residents can legally object to a valuation, with-in the prescribed period on their property and on any other proper-ty and also to perceived errors or omissions.

For the first time, residents may object on-line on the City’s website, www.joburg.org.za. Objections can be lodged from 20 February until 6 April 2018. Objectors are advised to have their Section 49 Notice handy when objecting.

Alternatively, residents may log onto the City’s website, www.joburg.org.za to lodge an on-line objection or download objec-tion forms which are categorised into Residential, Properties other than Residential or Agricultural, Agricultural holdings and Farms.

The City emphasises that objec-tions received after 6 April 2018 deadline will not be considered.

Valuation staff will be stationed at the centres to assist residents wanting to file objections.

Objectors are advised to furnish evidence with the Municipal Val-uer or Assistant Municipal Valu-ers pertaining to changes includ-ing renovations, subdivisions or any developments on or around their properties. Diagrams drawn up by a land surveyor for registra-tion with the Office of the Survey-or General showing such changes are one example of such evidence.

Any queries about the General Valuation Roll or objection pro-cess can be directed to:

P O Box 5000Braamfontein2017

No e-mail or electronic fax cor-respondence will be considered for objections. No late objections will be considered.

Midrand Customer Service Centre, 300 15th Road, MIDRAND

Roodepoort Civic Centre1st Floor, 100 Christiaan De Wet Road, FLORIDA PARK

Orlando East Customer Service Centre, 1425A Sofasonke Street, ORLANDO EAST, SOWETO

Protea North Customer Service Centre, 229/49 Kunene StreetPROTEA NORTH

Randburg Civic Customer Service Centre, Cnr Braamfischer Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue, RANDBURG

Jabulani Customer Service Centre, 1 Koma Road, JABULANI

Thuso House Customer Service Centre, 61 Jorrisen StreetBRAAMFONTEIN

City Power, Blue Square Boardroom, 40 Heronmere Street off Booysens Road, BOOYSENS

Sandton Customer Service Centre, 137 Daisy Street, SANDTON

Ennerdale Customer Service Centre, Crn. Katz and Smith Walk Road, ENNERDALE EXTENSION 9

Lenasia Civic CentreCnr. Rose and Elland Road, LENASIA

Eldorado Park Customer Service Centre, 4046 Link Crescent Avenue, ELDORADO PARK EXTENSION 5

The Valuation Roll will be available for inspection by members of the public at the following 12 stations around Joburg, from 20 February until 6 April 2018:

For further enquiries please contact 0860-JOBURG or 0860 562 874. Also visit www.joburg.org.za

A panoramic view of the City of Johannesburg. (Picture Google, Tourism Archives)

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