NERSA Tariff Increase: 9.61% will still be a huge blow for struggling South Africans

The DA is very pleased that the call by South Africans and the Party for NERSA to reject the proposed exorbitant electricity tariff increase has been heard. The announced tariff increase of 9.61%, while still high, is a long way off the 20.5% requested by Eskom.

This increase, which may very well be challenged in court by Eskom, will still be a blow to South Africans who are already crippled under the skyrocketing cost of living. Fuel price increases, food and transport cost increases, consumer price increases, and all government tariffs are bombarding South Africans relentlessly.

The DA has spearheaded a national campaign to break the monopoly that Eskom enjoys and the back-breaking year-on-year tariff increases that residents have to endure. The DA will continue to fight for all South Africans, to ensure an affordable and reliable electricity supply, not only for the man on the street but also emerging businesses that need a stable and cost-effective supply.

The ANC government and its dysfunctional SOE, Eskom, are the single biggest risks to the South African economy, due to their inability to maintain and grow generation capacity. With this unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, the government should put Eskom's money to better use by opening up the sector to Independent Power Producers.

Much of Eskom's losses can be traced back to mismanagement and rampant corruption under past leadership, and the burden is being passed on to consumers, who are bearing the brunt of Eskom’s failure, while the inept ANC government watch from the sidelines.

The ANC government must stop ignoring the voices of South Africans, and stop using them as an ATM to prop up Eskom’s dire financial situation.

The DA will not relent in its campaign to ease the burden inflicted on South Africans and we will continue to lead the country in the fight to allow Independent Power Producers to play a much bigger role at national, provincial and local levels.

We have shown how this can be done in the City of Cape Town and other DA municipalities are following suit. We want all South Africans to be freed from the dual threat of price hikes and loadshedding.

Issued by Kevin Mileham, DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, 24 February 2022