Ekurhuleni mayor suspends controversial R126 electricity tariff amid rising tensions in Tembisa protests

City of Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has temporarily suspended the new R126 fixed electricity tariff after Tembisa residents took to the streets in protest.

Xhakaza announced the suspension on Monday afternoon, 21 July, after residents said they would continue to protest until their demands are met. Xhakaza’s announcement was met with boos and jeers from protesters who wanted the new tariff scrapped permanently.

Concerned Tembisa residents took to the streets on Sunday night to voice their dissatisfaction with the fixed charge on electricity tariffs.

By Monday morning, most major routes in the township had been blocked with stones, large boulders and burning tires. Several people were also injured after the police fired rubber bullets to disperse the protesting crowd.

The protest stems from the newly introduced R126 tariff, which many residents say is too high.

Residents voice frustrations 

Speaking to Daily Maverick at the protest, a long-time Tembisa resident who identified herself only as Nomsa said she was already struggling to get by with the little money she earned, and that electricity tariff felt like an immense burden.

“The majority of us are not working. We can try and hustle but we are already struggling to put food on the table and take our kids to school,” said Nomsa.

The elderly woman added that the residents were not asking for a handout but simply for the municipality to reduce the tariff to make electricity more affordable.

Another resident, Josephina Siboni, who has lived in Thembisa since 1988, said she bought electricity worth R1,500, which lasted her the entire month, but since the tariff increase she was lucky if it lasted two weeks.

“I bought electricity worth R200 the other day. Before the end of the day it was finished. When I asked the municipality why it finished so quickly, they said some of the money was taken as a tariff. I’m an old person; I don’t even understand what a tariff is,” she said.

Similar to Nomsa, Siboni said that as a pensioner, money was limited and expenses were high. With paying municipal rates and taxes, school fees and buying groceries, and the new tariff, it had become harder to make ends meet.

“I don’t care if they shoot us with bullets, spray us with water or arrest us. I will protest until our demands are met,” Siboni said.

City to address residents

As tensions escalated and residents clashed with the police, Xhakaza called for calm.

City of Ekurhuleni acting spokesperson Ramatolo Tlotleng said the mayor had held an emergency meeting to direct the departments of energy and finance to finalise their comprehensive reports on “what can possibly be considered”.

Speaking to the media after addressing the community, Xhakaza insisted the City of Ekurhuleni had engaged with the community about the introduction of the tariff since 1 July. Ekurhuleni Finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi attributed the public outcry to the city’s failure to properly explain the fixed tariff to the community.

Xhakaza added that the tariff was introduced to cover the costs of delivering services and its termination would create a R300-million hole in the municipality’s budget.

Dlabathi added that while the mayor has announced the temporary suspension, the city would meet to find a permanent solution to the tariff issue.

“We cannot just simply review the tariff without council’s [approval], so we will be having the first sitting next week where we will be guided on how we engage with Nersa on this issue,” Xhakaza said. DM