The City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) MMC for Finance, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, and MMC for Energy, Mzayifani Ngwenya, led a community engagement on the proposed electricity tariff in Alberton.

Meetings for wards 37, 38, 94 and 106 were held at the Alberton New Chamber on October 11.

The city is holding public consultations on the basic electricity charge across the metro, specifically targeting customers under Tariff A.2, which applies to non-indigent, low-consumption residential households.

In July, council suspended a previous decision on the charge to allow more residents to have their say.

Explaining the city’s proposal, Dlabathi said: “The rationale behind the basic electricity charge is that when substations and transformers break down, you expect us to fix them. That is where we get the money to maintain and replace infrastructure. This process should be understood in that context.”

The MMCs used the opportunity to engage directly with the community, answer questions and discuss key concerns following their presentations.

Commenting on the presentation by the City’s officials, attendee Evelyn Mahlabe said:

“The presentation was an eye-opener for me. I can see that we need to pay, even if it feels like we are overpaying, but there is a follow-up process. I took their number so I can follow up directly and visit the municipality instead of just complaining without knowing exactly what we are supposed to do. Now I know who to contact, rather than going from pillar to post.”

The city’s consultative process is ongoing.