Cape Town – More than 100 000 people have signed the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) petition calling for an alternative power supplier to Eskom amid the country’s worsening electricity crisis.
The petition comes following the recent increase in electricity tariffs that will see South Africans pay 18.65% more for electricity while the country is plunged in hours of rolling blackouts.
Currently, the country is battling stage 4 and stage 5 load shedding day and night respectively, although changes in stages of load-shedding can occur at short notice due to the inherent unreliability of the coal power station fleet.
In response to the country’s deteriorating electricity problems and increased electricity tariff hikes, the DA called the country electricity’s crisis “official sanctioned daylight robbery against citizens”.
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“As fuel, food and transport costs soar, South Africans simply cannot afford an 18.65% electricity tariff increase on top of it all. Sign this petition for cheaper and more reliable electricity options other than Eskom.” the petition read.
Here is what the party claims to be doing:
• fighting to break Eskom’s monopoly;
• buying power from independent producers;
• pushing incentives for individuals to produce their own power, and;
• an amendment bill to change how the National Energy Regulator of South Africa determines the electricity price.
The party also plans to march to the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg next week.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
