DA ramps up fight against Eskom's 40% tariff hike, with public petition

14 August 2024

The DA is ramping up the fight against Eskom’s coming 40% tariff increase, by inviting public objection to the tariff through a petition to Parliament.

Yesterday the caucus of DA local government mayors began a process of written objections to Nersa, and within 24 hours many DA local government mayors officially recorded their objections to Nersa. See letters here, here, here and here.

Now, on the back of DA Mayors objecting to Nersa directly, the DA is ramping up with the fight against Eskom’s outrageous 40% tariff increase with a public petition, available to every South African who stands against this daylight “power grab” by Eskom.

The DA petition against Eskom's 40% tariff hike acknowledged that at a time when South Africans are already facing a dire cost-of-living crisis, no one can afford to pay 40% more for electricity.

Such an exorbitant increase will leave millions of households having to make the distressed choice between food and electricity. We cannot and will not stand for a future wherein electricity remains inaccessible to families and businesses.

What is extremely troubling with this increase is that Eskom has been allowed to retrospectively punish users with a “make-up” surcharge next year to recoup the shortfall in revenue it did not generate this year. An endless cycle of “making up” for under-collected revenue from a previous year cannot be allowed to transpire.

But there is hope, for residents, in this DA campaign: The DA is going to wage a full-blown battle against Eskom's upcoming tariff hikes and the unacceptable process through which these hikes are determined.

Since 2007, Eskom inflated electricity prices by a staggering 450%.

Because demand for Eskom’s electricity is now shrinking, their audacity to introduce a "make-up" tariff must be unequivocally rejected, and we call on all electricity uders in South Africa to stand up against it.

The DA has already thrown its first punch in this major national campaign, by tabling an urgent debate on this crisis in Parliament. We look forward to Parliament scheduling it urgently.

We call on all South Africans’ to stand against this daylight robbery and “power grab” – we need your voice in this too.

The DA calls on South Africa to sign our petition to stand against unaffordable 40% tariff hikes by Eskom.

We can make a difference together.

Issued by Willie Aucamp, DA National Spokesperson, 14 August 2024