Johannesburg residents will be paying more for municipal services when new tariffs come into effect from Thursday.
Tariffs for electricity, water, sanitation, refuse removal and property rates will go up on 1 July.
The City of Johannesburg will increase electricity by a substantial 14.59%, property rates by 2%, water and sanitation by 6.8% and refuse removal by 4.3%.
Most of the increases are well above the inflation rate.
Many people are already battling to make ends meet amid the pandemic.
One Johannesburg pensioner says while he receives a partial subsidy for water and electricity, he is forced to tap into his monthly social grant to keep the lights on and water running.
“I have to pay water and every time it goes up to a thousand rand when the statement comes. You must know, now we are owing R8000 again … they [have] cut [off] the water already, they say I must pay. So, I [took a] loan [of] R1 500 and then I paid the municipal bill … it is a headache how am I going to pay that [loan]. The R1 500 I paid, I do not even see that on the account [statement]. Electricity I have to see [that I pay], otherwise we [will] live in darkness,” explains the pensioner.
The video below is reporting about City of Johannesburg plans to increase rates:
