The City of Johannesburg (COJ) has objected to seventy-three percent (73%) of the 85 499 property value objections on the 2013 valuation roll. Included in the list of objections are 169 properties in Saxonwold plus five others within or close to Sahara Group Compound (referred to as Gupta Family Compound in various media).
The City of Johannesburg has objected to seventy-three percent (73%) of the 85 499 property value objections on the 2013 valuation roll. Included in the list of objections are 169 properties in Saxonwold plus five others within or close to Sahara Group Compound (referred to as Gupta Family Compound in various media).
The City's Valuation Roll is a transparent legal process prescribed by the Municipal Property Rates Act (MPRA). The Municipal Valuer produced and published the 2013 General Valuation (GV) Roll on 20th February. This roll was open for inspection and objection until the 3rd of May. Therefore, the implication in various media of preferential treatment before completion of the process is without substance, says COJ.
The 14 properties on the Valuation Roll, which can be attributed to the Gupta Family companies which own the properties in Saxonwold valued at R206 920 000.00 increased in value by twenty percent (20%), from R172 103 000.00 in the GV 2008 roll. Of the 14 properties the City objected to four as being undervalued including the property referred to in the Saturday Star of the 18th May 2013 valued at R16 890 000.00 in 2008 and R490 000.00 in 2013. COJ notes it is therefore a grave oversight that information, which is publicly available, is used to sensationalise a transparent process to ensure a credible Valuation Roll.
The General Valuation of the City is publicised in electronic format, in printed documents and on the City website for viewing throughout the inspection and objection process. The publication of the GV was undertaken to ensure transparency in the process and make sure that all interested parties have access to this information
The City of Johannesburg is confident that all the known errors will be corrected after the Valuation process as prescribed by the MPRA, which includes consideration of appeals by the Appeals Board appointed by the MEC of the Gauteng Government and Traditional Affairs. It concluded that the City will take appropriate steps to ensure that inaccuracies, particularly those published by the Saturday Star newspaper last weekend, are corrected. - Sapa
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