Rates Payments

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Property Rates Information

What Are Property Rates?

Property rates are a municipal levy imposed on rateable properties within the jurisdiction of the Nhlangano Town Council. These rates are charged annually and are used to fund the provision and maintenance of essential municipal services such as roads, public lighting, waste management, environmental health services, and other community infrastructure.

Rates are calculated based on the value of a property as reflected in the Council’s Valuation Roll, which lists all rateable properties within the town and their assessed values.

The Valuation Roll

The Valuation Roll is a register of all rateable properties within the municipal area and their respective assessed values.

When a Draft Valuation Roll is prepared, property owners are formally notified through individual notices sent via the post office, bulk SMSs and announcements in the print media. Property owners are invited to inspect the Draft Valuation Roll free of charge and are given the opportunity to lodge objections where necessary.

Objections may relate to matters such as:

  • The size or area of the property
  • The zoning classification of the property
  • The assessed value of the property
  • Any other details recorded in the valuation roll

All objections received are submitted to the Valuation Court, which sits to hear and determine the validity of the concerns raised by property owners. Once the Valuation Court has completed its review, the Valuation Roll is certified and becomes the official document used by Council as the basis for levying property rates.

After certification, the Valuation Roll becomes legally binding. If a property owner later identifies an issue with their property valuation after rates have already been invoiced, the matter may be registered with Council for consideration during the next valuation review cycle. However, the rates levied for the current financial year remain payable in full, and any adjustments will only be effected in subsequent years.

Assessment and Collection of Rates

The certified Valuation Roll forms the basis upon which Council assesses and levies property rates within the urban area.

It is therefore important for property owners to review the Draft Valuation Roll when it is published to ensure that the information relating to their properties is correct.

Liability for Payment

The registered owner of a rateable property as at the 1st day of the financial year is liable for the payment of rates for that financial year.

Payment Methods

Rates may be paid through the following methods:

1. Payment at Council Offices

Payments can be made directly at the offices of the Nhlangano Town Council using:

  • Cash
  • Speed point

2. Bank Deposits or Transfers

Ratepayers may deposit or transfer payments into the following Council bank accounts:

Bank Branch Branch Code Account Number Swift Code
Standard Bank Nhlangano 660964 9110003862766 SBICSZMX
FNB Nhlangano 282164 63010313946 FIRNSZNX
Swazi Bank Nhlangano  770001 777401913923 SDSBSZMB
Building Society Nhlangano Nhlangano 52001239971 SDSBSZMBXXX
MTN MoMo - - 26876913070 -

Reference:

When making payment, ratepayers must use the account number appearing on their rates bill or rates statement as the payment reference.

Frequency of Rates Levies

Rates are levied once annually, normally within the first three months of the financial year.

When Rates Become Due

Rates become due and payable within thirty (30) days from the date of issue of the rates invoice.

Ratepayers may:

  • Pay the full amount immediately, or
  • Make partial payments before the due date.

Ratepayers who are unable to settle the full amount at once may approach Council to enter into an instalment payment arrangement, which allows payment to be spread over the remainder of the financial year ending 31 March.

It is important that such arrangements are honoured by paying the agreed instalments on the agreed dates.

Benefits of Honouring Instalment Arrangements

Ratepayers who enter into and comply with approved instalment arrangements will:

  • Avoid receiving a Final Demand Notice requiring immediate settlement of outstanding rates.
  • Avoid the issuance of a Certified Statement confirming that legal judgement has been obtained for non-payment.
  • Avoid the application of the statutory interest of 15% per annum on overdue balances.
  • Avoid an additional 15% penalty applied to cover Council’s collection costs where accounts are handed over for debt recovery.

Incentives for Early Payment

To encourage prompt payment of rates, the Nhlangano Town Council periodically conducts rates payment competitions.

Ratepayers are grouped into two categories:

  • Residential property owners
  • Commercial property owners

Winners in each category receive prizes as part of Council’s initiative to promote a culture of responsible rate payment.

The competition is open to all property owners. However, Council employees who own property are discouraged from participating in order to maintain transparency, prevent potential conflicts of interest, and uphold sound corporate governance practices.