Officials’ salaries ‘should pay Eskom tariff hike’
A group of KZN residents have suggested that the salaries of senior government officials be reduced and the savings channelled to Eskom - instead of hiking the electricity price.
Community members and local organisations had their say on the first day of the national energy regulator's public hearings in Durban - on Eskom's application for a 36 per cent tariff increase next year.
Manazi Mncube is a resident of Umzimnyathi.
"If you want to solve this situation, so that people can be able to survive in this country, look into those ministers of this country who earn a lot of money, cut their salaries and use that money and don't make us suffer."
Paulos Gwala, an elder from Ntuzuma, north of Durban, told the hearings Eskom is only interested in one thing.
"Eskom officials only come to us when they want to hike tariffs, but when we call them to come to us so we can chat, they're nowhere to be found. As you saw last month, where they wanted us to re-code our meters, elderly people were in long lines, which proves that Eskom and Nersa they don't care about us, all they want is our money."
Sthembiso Mgenge is a hostel dweller in Jacobs says the poor will suffer the most.
READ: Eskom tells KZN tariff hearing utility in R400bn hole
"I come from a very poor background in eShowe, where even today there are still families who are living without electricity. The question is; when they get electricity, what percentage will this high tariff be at?
"We understand that there are some people with illegal connections, but where they would be connecting illegally if they are provided jobs so that can pay?"
Desmond Kylas, who represents the group Street Committee, pleaded with Nersa and Eskom to look at it from a poor person's perspective.
"The perspective of your family and your friends that site out there; can they afford it?"
Eskom says it needs the tariff hikes to help move away from being reliant on government bailouts.
CFO Calib Cassim told the hearings on Friday that the utility is owed R90 billion by municipalities, with the debt growing at an unsustainable rate of between R1 billion and R1.5 billion a month.
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
