SA will be plunged into darkness if Eskom doesn’t receive financial support - Ramokgopa

CAPE TOWN - Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the country will be plunged into darkness if Eskom doesn’t receive financial support.

He was responding to a debate on Eskom’s proposed tariff increase, where parties voiced their opposition to what they deemed an exorbitant tariff increase granted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

On Thursday, the National Assembly debated the decision by the National Energy Regulator of SA to grant Eskom’s application to retrospectively recover R8 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year.

ALSO READ: Political parties agree electricity tariff increases too high, want Eskom to reconsider proposed 36% hike

During the debate, parties illustrated how electricity had increased and become unaffordable over the years.

“To put this in perspective, an average household, using 350 kilowatt hours in 2007, would have paid just R69.30,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) Energy spokesperson Kevin Mileham.

“Today, they are paying R724.50, and Eskom is requesting an increase of between 36% and 43% on top of that.”

However, Ramokgopa warned that load shedding could return if Eskom doesn’t receive proper financing.

“Essentially, you are faced with the following scenario: if you don’t provide the kind of financial support that is required, we are rightly going to plunge the country back into darkness.”

Political parties have again called for a review of the tariff pricing policy, with some, like the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, saying coal should also be regulated to help control prices.