MAHIKENG, South Africa — The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on Monday took the public hearings into Eskom’s application for electricity tariff hikes to Mahikeng, North West.
Organisations such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Ferro Alloys Producers’ Association (Fapa), and the ratepayers association Munwatch, have raised concerns about electricity theft, electricity losses, energy efficiency and the need for municipalities to continue paying their electricity accounts to Eskom.
Last week, Cosatu criticised Nersa for cancelling the public hearing in the Free State, which the energy regulator body said was “due to a lack of interest”.
“We would like to register with Nersa the reality that Free State is actually a rural province whereby notices sent by emails and which requires registration and responses by email do not reach ordinary workers and the unemployed masses in the province who will be directly affected by the decision to hike the tariffs,” Cosatu had said.
In a statement on Monday, Eskom said it thanked stakeholders who were making presentations at the hearings and would continue to engage in an attempt to clarify issues raised.
Eskom has asked the regulator to authorise tariff hikes so that it can recoup R22,8 billion in overspent and unearned revenue from customers this year. The hearings move to Kimberly today. – online
