Activists slam Cape Town electricity tariffs, city defends increase
Electricity Must Fall leader Natasha Gertze, who lives in Mitchells Plain, says a recent increased property valuation has forced residents, who were previously not paying tariffs, to pay a R200 fee.
A bird's eye view of the City of Cape Town. Picture: SkyPixels/Wikimedia Commons
CAPE TOWN - A social activism group has raised concerns about the City of Cape Town's increased electricity charges, saying residents are already struggling to survive.
Electricity Must Fall leader Natasha Gertze, who lives in Mitchells Plain said that a recent increased property valuation has forced residents, who were previously not paying tariffs, to pay a R200 fee.
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Gertze said their concerns have not been heard.
"I've got it at the Ombudsman because I can't understand that huge jump, but the ombudsman redirects it to the municipality. I've even e-mailed the Human Rights Commission because to me this is affecting my human rights."
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the tariffs are for infrastructure maintenance, but the cost of electricity is determined by Eskom.
"We buy all of our power, nearly a hundred percent of it. We are trying to change that but we buy nearly a hundred percent of our power from Eskom and so that is the key cost driver. Eskom's power price goes up as it does in leaps and bounds every year, the price our power goes up."