Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says everybody in the country should have electricity.
He says 87% of South Africa’s residents are connected to the power grid and that government is working with Eskom to ensure that the remaining 13% also get access to electricity.
Mantashe was inspecting electrification projects at Maiden Farm, Bhongweni and Mthatha West in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The projects are part of the Department’s Integrated National Electrification Programme.
More than a thousand houses have been electrified in the three areas.
“We are reducing the 13% outstanding who do not have electricity. At 87%, we must reach universal access to electricity. There are many pressures but we must weather those pressures and reduce this number,” reiterates Mantashe.
Further hikes in electricity price unavoidable
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has warned consumers that further hikes in the price of electricity are unavoidable. De Ruyter accompanied Mantashe on his trip to the Eastern Cape. De Ruyter says discussions are under way on how the impact of future tariff increases on the poor can be alleviated.
“Electricity prices in South Africa, unfortunately, have to rise because of the number of adverse tariff decisions taken by Nersa over a number of years. What those created is a backlog in tariff increases that, unfortunately, we now have to catch up. We understand that this is painful for the community and we are, therefore, engaging with the DMRE as the policy department, as well as with the National Treasury on ways in which we can mitigate the impact of electricity tariff increases, particularly on poor and indigent people,” says De Ruyter.
COPE calls on government to review tariff increases
Earlier in April, the Congress of the People (COPE) said that government should review the 15% electricity tariff increase. The party’s Spokesperson Dennis Bloem has condemned the electricity hike.
In a 15 February ruling, the High Court in Pretoria said R10 billion should be added to Eskom’s allowable revenue to be recovered from customers in the 2021/22 financial period.
That judgment followed 2020’s ruling in favour of Eskom, which allowed the power utility to push for a higher tariff increase than what Nersa was willing to allow.
Bloem says the increase will further kill the economy and hit the poor and unemployed the hardest.
“Government can never justify this increase. Millions of people have lost their jobs. The unemployment figure is rising by the day. Very soon, the electricity will be reserved for the rich only. It is already a luxury to have electricity in your house or in your shack. The cost of living is rising by the day. It is totally unfair that the struggling people must be punished because of years of corruption that took place at Eskom. But sadly, not a single thief is in jail for collapsing Eskom. We call upon government to review this latest Eskom electricity increase.”
