The Pretoria high court’s adoption of the City of Cape Town’s proposals to impose strict timelines on the National Energy Regulator of SA’s decision-making process for municipal electricity tariff approvals is welcomed.
For far too long, Nersa’s delays and disorganisation have created chaos for municipalities across SA — issuing tariff decisions late, without reasons, and often after municipal budgets and public participation had already closed. This reckless pattern has now been stopped in its tracks.
In a powerful ruling on Friday, the court declared Nersa’s 2025/26 public participation process invalid and ordered that the regulator must:
- By January 31 each year: Inform municipalities of the increases granted to Eskom and other generators.
- Publish for public input: Every municipality’s cost-of-supply study and tariff application.
- By May 5 each year: Finalise and publish all municipal tariff decisions with full reasons.
These timelines — originally proposed by the DA-led City of Cape Town — were accepted by both the court and the applicants, AfriForum. The order brings much-needed order, predictability, and fairness to the electricity tariff-setting process.
This is not just a legal win — it’s a victory for accountability, good governance, and every SA consumer who deserves transparency in how tariffs are determined. — Thulani Dasa, Khayelitsha
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