{"id":100762,"date":"2025-08-25T14:16:52","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/?p=100762"},"modified":"2025-08-25T14:43:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:43:37","slug":"city-cleaning-levy-court-dismisses-tshwane-metros-application-for-leave-to-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/city-cleaning-levy-court-dismisses-tshwane-metros-application-for-leave-to-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"City cleaning levy: Court dismisses Tshwane Metro\u2019s application for leave to appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Arno-Roodt_ENG-1.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Soundbite: Arno Roodt (English)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Arno-Roodt_AFR-1.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Soundbite: Arno Roodt (Afrikaans)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The High Court in Pretoria today dismissed the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality\u2019s application for leave to appeal in the case regarding the city cleaning levy. This ruling is the second setback for the Metro, after the court ruled on 31 July that the implementation of this levy was unlawful and should be set aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Tshwane Metro filed their application for leave to appeal only three days before the cut-off date but was quickly turned away again by acting judge George Avvakoumides, who dismissed their application as \u201cmischievous\u201d, \u201cwithout merit\u201d and that it \u201cavoided the principle of legality\u201d. A second punitive costs order was imposed against the Metro, which must again cover AfriForum\u2019s legal costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the court proceedings, the Metro\u2019s legal team argued, among other things, that AfriForum, as a civil rights organisation, did not have the necessary locus standi (right to bring a case) to bring the application on behalf of Pretoria residents. The court dismissed the argument and found in favour of taxpayers by arguing that the Metro\u2019s application did not comply with Section 17(1) of the Superior Courts Act. According to this legislation, an application for leave to appeal must prove that there will be a reasonable chance of success in an appeal. The court further stated that the Metro could not give sufficient reasons as to why the appeal should be heard at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAfriForum is of course very pleased with this positive ruling that further thwarts the Metro\u2019s money-making plans. State organs such as municipalities cannot simply impose tariffs to fill their pockets at the expense of taxpayers,\u201d says Deidr\u00e9 Steffens, Advisor for Local Government Affairs at AfriForum.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The court further lashed out at the Metro, saying that this application exposed its true intention with the levy (to unlawfully increase its income by approximately R540 million per year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Arno Roodt, AfriForum\u2019s District Coordinator for Greater Pretoria South, this ruling is a decisive victory for the community. \u201cOur residents are not a cash cow that can be milked without right or reason. The Metro now has one of two choices \u2013 either they accept the ruling and start planning their budget according to legislation or they can further put the Metro\u2019s finances under pressure by going to the Supreme Court of Appeal. In any case, AfriForum will stand ready to hold them accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AfriForum will continue to ensure that residents\u2019 interests are protected and that taxpayers are not further disadvantaged by unlawful levies and legal actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Uitspraak_Court-ruling.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of Uitspraak_Court ruling.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-4829852e-da2f-4500-9750-b0db3b32c1b1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Uitspraak_Court-ruling.pdf\">Uitspraak_Court ruling<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Uitspraak_Court-ruling.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-4829852e-da2f-4500-9750-b0db3b32c1b1\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The High Court in Pretoria today dismissed the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality\u2019s application for leave to appeal in the case regarding&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":99209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11177,11173,11162],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-affairs-media-statements","category-local-government-affairs-media-statements","category-media-statements"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":11177,"label":"Community 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