Thembisa residents demand City of Ekurhuleni scrap tariff surcharge
Following strong opposition during public participation, the Tembisa Community Forum urges the municipality to remove the proposed surcharge on Tariff A1 and A2.
The Tembisa Community Forum (TCF) is awaiting the City of Ekurhuleni’s council resolution on the proposed removal of the surcharge on Tariff A1 and A2, following overwhelming public participation in which residents made their opposition clear.
“Areyibatle! Asiyifuni! We don’t want it,” they declared.
TCF chairperson Lelenkie Lefakane urged the municipality to respect the will of the people.
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“We call on the municipality to scrap both the surcharge and the proposed tariff increases in full. Anything less would betray the democratic process and disregard the lived realities of our communities,” she said.
Lefakane highlighted the economic hardships faced by residents.
“Unemployment remains alarmingly high in Thembisa and across the metro.
“Many households rely solely on social grants to survive. The cost-of-living crisis is deepening, and basic services are already unaffordable for many.”
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She also expressed concern that the City could use the Triple C’s: Cut-offs, Credit Control, and Coercion to enforce payment.
“We have seen this pattern before: punitive measures used to extract revenue from the poorest, just to keep the lights on,” Lefakane said.
“Let it be known: we are watching, and we will not allow this injustice to continue unchecked.
“If necessary, we are prepared to take to the streets, even during the festive season, to demand dignity, fairness, and accountability. The people have spoken. The surcharge must fall,” she said.
