While Johannesburg residents lament the new electricity surcharge of R200 for prepaid users, including a 12.7% tariff increase, the GOOD Party rejected the notion and slammed parties and organisations claiming it had voted for the tariff increase.
GOOD emphasised its opposition to the surcharge, noting its absentia when the council approved the budget as its former councillor Lloyd Phillips was fired.
GOOD’s national chairperson and newly appointed councillor, Matthew Cook, rubbished ActionSA and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) including the “Sowetan” newspaper for spreading misinformation to the public by accusing the party of supporting the surcharge for prepaid customers.
“It’s extremely disappointing that those who have been spreading this false information, including ActionSA, Outa and the Sowetan, clearly did not do their homework and confirmed the information independently, but chose to spread rumours based on incorrect social media posts. The Sowetan has since agreed to correct their article,” said Cook.
Affirming its support against the tariff increase, which was approved by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa), Phillips said the surcharge is economically detrimental to residents, especially the indigent.
“The unnecessary financial burden placed on residents goes against everything GOOD stands for and has been fighting against since our formation in 2019. (We) have continuously fought against high tariffs and unnecessary charges across the country and condemned the municipalities that seek to unlawfully profit from hiking tariffs above what the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) prescribes.
“All GOOD councillors were instructed to keep a close eye on budgets and ensure that they oppose any unnecessary electricity tariffs, including in Johannesburg. Residents are cash-strapped and an additional R200 electricity tariff is preposterous when people already have to make the decision whether to buy food or units of electricity,” said Cook.
In a statement, the mayor of the City of Joburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, detailed that the electricity surcharge was to be implemented in 2018 to maintain the metro’s energy infrastructure.
However, due to Covid-19, the tariffs were implemented in 2019/20.
“The new electricity surcharge is a necessity to create fairness and equality in the city’s tariff regime. Post-paid customers have been paying the surcharge and only prepaid customers were excluded. What the introduction of the surcharge now seeks to do, is end the unfair subsidisation of prepaid customers by post-paid customers,” said Gwamanda.
“In the best interest of the city, we must act responsibly to enforce equality amongst our customers and to protect the future sustainability of the city and its infrastructure.”
The Star