YCLSA questions tariff increase

Municipality (SPM) increased its electricity prices by an average of 7.64 percent from July 1, meaning that residents are essentially being over-charged,” Moncho stated.

She added that a comparative analysis showed that SPM residents were paying more for electricity compared to other municipalities.

“This has been denied by the SPM after being discovered by the YCLSA and brought to the attention of the local authority. Despite the High Court ruling, that set aside Eskom’s tariff increase, residents of Sol Plaatje continue to pay for electricity at a rate ruled as unfair by the high court, and the YCLSA is calling for the situation to be remedied by the SPM.”

Moncho further pointed out that the Northern Cape was a leading site of renewable energy plants which were supposed to benefit local communities.

“Why then are residents in other towns and cities paying less for electricity than those living in the Northern Cape, which continues to invest in renewable energy plants and infrastructure?

“Where are the social investment projects and the benefits that are being derived from this renewable energy infrastructure if at all our communities continue to pay more for electricity?”

The league called on municipalities and Eskom to design and implement community-based programmes in line with the green energy initiatives to ensure that residents embraced alternative renewable energy sources and were educated about initiatives to save energy.