Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has called on Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to withdraw the application for 20.5% electricity tariff increase.

The application is for the 2022-2023 financial year.

The law requires the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to table the tariff determination in Parliament by no later than 15 March.

Hill-Lewis has requested that it be revised in line with inflation.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is currently 5.5%.

Hill-Lewis says there are several alternative strategies.

“We believe that Capetonians cannot afford it, that is unfair. It places the burden of Eskom’s other failures on ordinary Capetonians. It will seriously harm the interest of our families, of our city [and] of our economy. We are asking residents to join us here in opposing this price increase application from Eskom,” he adds.

In December 2021, Nersa made its first move to comply with a Gauteng High Court order to process Eskom‘s fifth multi-year price determination.

The regulator announced the release of the consultation paper and published Eskom’s fifth Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD) 5 revenue application for the 2023 – 2025 financial years.

Eskom however says Nersa has misrepresented the power utility’s revenue application to include matters that are still under consideration by both the courts and by Nersa itself.

Nersa accused of misrepresenting its application for the 2023 Financial Year: