Increasing pensioner’s burden

I AM a pensioner residing in a rented flatlet of 40m2 in Welcome Glen.

I have, from the beginning of this month, been subjected to an electricity tariff increase of approximately 80 percent because the main house I am annexed to is valued at more than R1 million. Incidentally, I have also lost my free monthly units.

I was of the impression the City of Cape Town purchases its electricity from Eskom and Parliament restricted Eskom’s tariff increase to approximately 17 percent earlier this year .

My monthly usage is on average 280 units and thus I use electricity frugally in terms of the current national supply.

My recent communications with the City of Cape Town electricity department in order to have my tariff reviewed have been met with a blunt reply that because the property is valued at over R1 million there is nothing they can do.

My question is, in view of the restricted increase imposed on Eskom, is it constitutionally right that the City of Cape Town can arbitrarily increase a pensioner’s burden, or anyone else’s for that matter, by as much as 80 percent by changing the rules, or is this another example of the government fleecing the public to enrich its own members?