Ekurhuleni has reversed the electricity tariff of R126 that once resulted in Tembisa residents taking to the streets in rejection of it.
The reversal was announced at a council sitting on Thursday and followed public consultations that had been held between September and October by the energy department across the metro’s regions.
In one of the consultations attended by Sowetan in Springs, where less than 30 residents showed up, the tariff was rejected, with residents saying it only added to the already high cost of living, while others said the timing of the consultations was a problem.
The consultations happened in the aftermath of Tembisa residents protesting in rejection of the tariff, which had long been passed in council and had become effective as of 1 July.
Ekurhuleni mayor Dr Nkosindiphile Xhakaza later suspended the tariff to enable comprehensive, inclusive, and orderly engagement with affected communities.
He also said the suspension was to ensure that legitimate concerns raised by residents were systematically and effectively addressed as well as to mitigate the risk of a recurrence of the Tembisa protests in which residents had blocked streets and burnt tyres.
The ANC in Ekurhuleni welcomed the reversal, saying the suspension would bring real relief to households across Ekurhuleni.
“This victory belongs to the people,” the ANC statement read.
Sowetan
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