Due to the level of unemployment and subsequent poverty in the local municipal area, there are households that are unable to pay for normal municipal services. The Municipality therefore adopted an Indigent Management Policy to ensure that these households have access to at least all basic municipal services and was guided in the formulation of this Policy by the National Government’s Policy in this regard.

All households who qualify in terms of the said policy, receives a subsidy on property rates as well as other service charges such as water, refuse and electricity (50kWh of electricity per month free of charge as well as 6000 liters water per household per month (appr. 200 liters of water/ day))

Only households where the accountholder or property owner has registered as indigent in terms of the municipality’s annual registration program and whose registration has been approved and entered into the register of indigents qualify for the above concessions.

The subsidies on rates and the specified service charges will be determined as part of each annual budget and in terms of the Municipality’s Policies on property rates and tariffs.

Currently there are 818 households, as of 1 July 2017, that are receiving indigent support on a monthly basis.