IN PICS | Tembisa electricity surcharge suspended after riots

The R126 electricity surcharge in Ekurhuleni has been suspended for two weeks to avoid the escalation of violence. 

This is how mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza explained his decision yesterday  to put the surcharge on ice. The U-turn follows a two-day protest in Tembisa, which saw main roads being barricaded and traffic disrupted. Residents used street light poles, traffic lights and huge rocks to block roads, while also burning tyres.   

Residents said that the fee, which came into effect this month, is an added burden they can’t afford. 

Addressing a crowd of residents outside the Rabasotho Community Hall yesterday, Xhakaza said he did not want to see further violence in the streets of Tembisa. 

“We’ve heard your cries,” he said, “but the surcharge is not our problem because the structure of tariffs on municipalities is decided by Eskom and through the National Energy Regulator of SA [Nersa]. Prices are then approved by Nersa, and we are then guided [on the increase] and how much we can collect from residents.”

Xhakaza said the surcharge will be suspended until Ekurhuleni officials had met with stakeholders such as Eskom and Nersa to discuss a way forward. 

“The fixed charge on electricity has become a major point of contention, especially among paying communities like Tembisa. We’ve decided to suspend the fixed charge to allow the conversation to happen and to accommodate public consultations. It’s important that we engage with all stakeholders. 

“We can’t fully scrap the fee. But I’m saying to manage volatility, and to prevent protests from escalating, we are suspending it temporarily,” Xhakaza said. 

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The surcharge, introduced on July 1, was linked to a R300bn revenue gap, and its suspension means that the municipality would have to find alternative means to close the gap.

“We hope that within the next two weeks, we can return to the communities with a permanent solution,” Xhakaza said. “We must explore alternative ways to recover these costs. We will continue working with stakeholders to find lasting, balanced solutions. The cost of providing services like electricity is very high – from supply and transmission, to ongoing maintenance, cable theft, and unplanned outages.”

Finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi explained that the money collected from the surcharge does not go towards general infrastructure. 

He said that before the introduction of the surcharge, the municipality had meetings with the community to explain how the tariff, among others, would be introduced. 

“However, it’s true that this specific fixed charge may not have been sufficiently elevated during those engagements. That may explain the backlash. The mayor made a responsible decision to suspend it and not to scrap it completely because the council approved it,” Dlabathi said. 

MMC for energy Mzayfani Ngwenya said engagements with Nersa have already begun. “The ongoing petitions from the public will only strengthen our case and help form a lasting solution,” he said. 

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