The Democratic Alliance (DA) held a protest outside NERSA’s supposed public hearings on Eskom’s proposed 40% tariff hike. The public hearing, originally scheduled to be held at Transnet’s N-Shed on the morning of Thursday, 21 November, was moved at the last minute to the Royal Hotel.
The DA took the opportunity to protest outside the new venue, where local DA councillors and members gathered early in the morning to voice their opposition to the hike. However, as a result of the venue being too small to accommodate the many people wishing to attend, the hearings did not proceed.
The DA protest and delegation were led by DA KZN Deputy Leader, Councillor Sithembiso Ngema; uMngeni Mayor Chris Pappas; and uMhlathuze Deputy Mayor Christo Botha. Several other local DA members and councillors joined the protest, showing solidarity with residents who would be directly affected by the proposed increase.
Eskom’s request for a 40% increase in tariffs, set to be implemented in phased increments over the next few years, has sparked widespread concern across the country. If approved, the hike would force families to choose between putting food on the table and paying for electricity.
This increase would be the latest in a series of steep hikes, following Eskom’s previous tariff increase requests, which have already significantly impacted the cost of living. The DA warned that this additional hike would not only burden South African households but also hurt businesses, particularly small enterprises struggling to stay afloat amid the ongoing energy crisis. Additionally, the proposed tariff increase would add further pressure on municipalities, many of which are already in debt to Eskom, making it harder for them to pay their bills and leading to higher municipal rates for residents.
The DA had planned to hand over a memorandum to NERSA, urging them to reject Eskom’s proposed hike and stand with residents who deserve fair and affordable electricity.
Christo Botha, the Deputy Mayor of uMhlathuze, addressed the crowd, emphasising the negative impact the increase would have. He warned that the hike would result in more illegal electricity connections as people struggled to afford the rising costs. Botha also highlighted the risk of job losses as businesses and households faced financial strain.
“The proposed 40% tariff increase will hit our communities hard. Families are already struggling to make ends meet, and this hike will only force them into more difficult choices, such as deciding whether to buy food or pay for electricity. With more people turning to illegal connections to survive, Eskom will only make the problem worse, and businesses will suffer, leading to job losses. We cannot allow this to happen.”
Botha gave a stark example, stating that individuals currently paying R1,000 a month for electricity would face an additional 33% increase if the proposed hike were approved.
The venue for KZN’s public hearings was changed at the last minute, and upon arrival, NERSA learned that the new venue could not accommodate the public, as it was too small. NERSA then tried to limit the number of people who could enter the venue, leaving hundreds outside, which did not sit well with those who had journeyed there to make their voices heard.
Outside the Royal Hotel in Durban, the DA held a protest in the early morning, drawing support from hundreds in attendance. It is clear that momentum is behind the DA’s campaign to stop these excessive price increases.
Eskom’s tariff hike request is largely to cover its own astronomical financial wastages and to address the debt of ANC-run municipalities, which currently owe Eskom R90 billion.
According to Mayor Chris Pappas of DA-run uMngeni Municipality, the municipality is 100% paid up and meets its payment deadlines. Pappas drew attention to the millions owed by municipalities to Eskom. He stated that with this increase, more municipalities would likely fall deeper into debt, resulting in more suffering for residents, who would be forced to pay higher municipal bills.
“Many municipalities are already heavily indebted to Eskom, and this tariff hike will only push them further into debt. Residents will face even higher municipal bills, and the economic impact will be devastating. Eskom’s promise of cheaper electricity through meter re-coding is unproven and will not alleviate the strain on families. If this hike goes through, it will be another blow to the struggling South African economy.”
Pappas further pointed out that Eskom was requiring residents to recode their meter boxes, promising cheaper electricity, but warned that this was not guaranteed. He emphasised that the proposed hike would only add to the suffering of South African families and further harm the economy.
The DA also highlighted that NERSA, as the national regulator, should not be supporting Eskom’s efforts to bankrupt the people. They argued that NERSA’s role was to protect consumers, not to facilitate Eskom’s financial mismanagement at the expense of residents.
The DA made it clear that they would continue to fight for the rights of residents, emphasising that no one should have to choose between basic necessities like food and electricity.
