Utility ‘has lost public trust’

ESKOM cannot be trusted and the public would not know where any money from an increase in tariffs would land up.

This is what Patrick Mkhize of the Wentworth Development Forum told the public hearings into electricity tariffs yesterday. He said the state-owned enterprise’s entire leadership of Eskom needed to change.

“There are so many good people who can run Eskom; maybe some of you are among them,” he said, addressing the panel of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa hosting the hearings.

“If we are asked to pay increased tariffs, who is there (at Eskom) who is trustworthy?” he asked, referring to it as the most corrupt of the stateowned enterprises.

“I submit that Eskom should not be granted an increase, not even a 0.05% increase, until a criminal investigation into current and former members is conducted.

“Let it exonerate the good and incriminate those who have done wrong. That will give assurance to the population that any tariff increase is justified.”

He said Eskom could be compared with a bus that had been hijacked by thugs.

“We are saying remove the thugs.

“Get proper drivers who are licensed and have the right to drive this bus, and are honest. Right now it is being driven by dishonest thieves. They are busy looting the fees that are supposed to go to the owners – us.”

Mkhize stressed that Eskom’s only shareholders were the people of South Africa.

“Eskom has lots of debt and that debt is guaranteed by the government. If Eskom fails to pay that debt, the guarantee means that government has got to step forward and pay that debt. “The government is us. “That means taxes will go up because we now have to step in where Eskom cannot.”

Mkhize also called on Nersa to be a progressive regulator and allow for renewable energy to power the country and consider climate change, the ozone layer and future generations, rather than one that “makes (former Eskom CEO) Brian Molefe rich”.

The Durban leg of the country-wide hearings was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.