Buffalo City residents demand that tariff hikes be scrapped

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Rate payers of the Buffalo City Metro in the Eastern Cape are up in arms over the council’s decision to increase prepaid electricity tariffs by 12.7%. The increase also includes monthly electricity network service charges, ranging from R370 to R660.

The frustrated ratepayers took their grievances to the offices of the Metro demanding this to be reversed and it be set aside

The ratepayers are accusing the Metro of failing to consider their economic conditions when it approved the electricity tariffs.

About 92% of ratepayers stand to be affected by these hikes. The rate payers demanded to speak to the Executive Mayor Princess Faku in person about their frustrations.

However, Faku refused to meet with all of them, instead she invited few representatives to her office.

The community felt undermined and disrespected.

“As a pensioner I have got nothing, if I must pay all that money to rates then I will have nothing that’s how it goes. I do stay in a house that my husband left me, he died six years ago and nobody is working for me. I only live on that pension so that’s why I am here today. I am 79-years-old my legs are giving in now.”

Another resident says they have had enough, “We have been provoked enough and we are going to mobilise and we will show BCM who we are not going to engage with her anymore.”

Community activist Anele Ncumbese says there was no proper consultation prior to the decision to increase the electricity prices.

“Our Metro BCM is the most expensive of them all and our people are unemployed. Even those who are employed are earning less money like R3000. You buy electricity for R100 you get 15 to 20 units so we are rejecting this price increase that has been approved by BCM.”

Businesses in the Metro are also not satisfied with the tariffs increase.

Lizelle Maurice from the Border Kei Chamber of Business and Sandra Schroeder of own Haven Housing utilities say this increase is going to hit hard on the business sector in the metro.

“This is completely unacceptable, and we want our municipality through our mayor, through our municipal manager to withdraw those tariffs until proper consultation has taken place.”

“As a social housing within BCM we are really struggling this charge of the R432 charge or electricity availability wants to impose now we cannot allow our tenants to pay for it. They won’t be able to afford it.”

BCM’s spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya says an extensive consultation process was followed prior to the council’s approval of the tariff increase.

“The budget has been passed legitimately. It was sent to the public, it was passed by the council which is the legitimate representative of all the stakeholders. But of course consultations can never be enough. We will be going out to each and every ward to convince people and make sure they take part of our packages so that they are able to understand. We are calling on people not to be misled by groups who are hell bent on making sure people do not pay for services. If you are looking at the welfare package of the metro it’s looking at the poor of the poorest.”

The ratepayers have threatened to take legal action against the Metro if the matter is not resolved.

Electricity Focus | Buffalo City Metro rate payers in E Cape furious over tariffs increases: