During the winter season, the community usually protests against electricity cut-offs or high tariff increases. Interestingly, we are in the last month of winter and there have been few, if any, reported cases of community protests against electricity cut-offs or high tariffs thus far.
But I digress. Eskom is currently busy installing new electrical boxes in and around Mogale City. And the community has indicated that they do not want them. But, regardless, the utility is going ahead and installing them. Whenever the residents resist, they either pass or bring the police.
The electricity utility is also using underhand tactics to install the unwanted boxes. Sometimes they switch off electricity for a few houses so that residents phone their call centre and report that they have no lights. When the technicians arrive, they change the old boxes and install the new ones.
Residents have complained about the high tariffs since the installation of these boxes but no-one is giving them an ear. They have protested until they turned blue but nothing has come of it. No-one can be happy with spending R1 200 to R1 800 on electricity alone, when previously he or she used to spend about R300 a month.
The challenge is that there is no platform for residents to engage with Eskom. The fact that the offices of the utility are out of reach, which seems to be a deliberate move, makes matters worse. Councillors are also not helpful with regard to the matter.
I think residents deserve to know why they are paying so much for electricity. But it is clear that the electricity utility is not accountable to its customers and does as it pleases. And government is also looking the other way. So Eskom is getting away with murder.
What the electricity utility is doing is daylight robbery and it needs to be held accountable. If it means taking it to the Public Protector or court, so be it. Electricity is a basic necessity. But the utility seems hell-bent on making a profit out of it.
What needs to be done? I’m advocating that we form an electricity crisis committee. This committee will engage the management of the utility directly regarding the crisis we are facing. Maybe then we will be able to get the answers we so desperately want.
