Disgruntled BCM residents and ratepayers picketed outside City Hall on Wednesday, demanding that mayor Princess Faku halts the implementation of new tariffs and the cost-to-supply electricity charge.
The protesters were not addressed by Faku and vowed they would boycott the metro’s events until their demands were met.
However, four of their representatives sat with the mayor and municipal officials in a behind-closed-doors meeting.
ActionSA regional secretary Michele Kay, who attended the meeting, said they repeatedly told the mayor that people could not afford the electricity tariff increase and new cost-of-supply charge.
The increases would push more people into poverty and unemployment, but the municipality was standing firm on increasing electricity tariffs.
“It does seem that full public consultation did not take place around the issue of the cost-of-supply charges, so we need to look more closely into that,” Kay said.
“We will keep pushing for the mayor’s office to engage the public on this issue.”
In addition to the 12.07% electricity tariff hike which kicked in this month, BCM residents face a new monthly electricity network and service charge of between R370 and R660.
The National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) approved the city’s application to charge prepaid customers a “cost of supply” rate of R376 for infrastructure maintenance while credit metering account users will have their existing charge increased to R660.
Zandile Sinika of Haven Hills, who took part in the picket, said the municipality was “killing” residents.
“Electricity is going up high, and rates, and we even have debt that we cannot write off.
“BCM’s billing is messed up. They do not bill accurately, they are instead estimating. As residents we are tired.”
Sinika said they had made countless attempts to meet the mayor, but she was always unavailable.
“They just [raised the tariffs] by themselves, whereas we are the ratepayers and they were supposed to consult us.”
Own Haven Housing Association utilities officer Sandra Schroeder said BCM was the worst municipality.
DA BCM caucus leader Sue Bentley said the party’s councillors could not attend the May 31 meeting which passed the tariff hike and cost-of-supply charge because a vast pile of documents was circulated just 24 hours before the meeting, giving them insufficient time to do due diligence.
“None of the opposition councillors were there. The budget was pushed through.
“The DA found those line items hidden in the tariff book, pushing the electricity tariff up so much because of the new cost supply fee.”
Bentley said DA councillors had since met the mayor and senior finance officials but the problem was not resolved, and they had written to the finance MEC.
“The passing of the budget was a flawed process and therefore these increases are flawed.”
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said: “We are going to the people of Buffalo City, in their wards.
“We are very much aware, like other cities, that raising tariffs in this type of economy is not so good for the public.
“We are trying to say we do have packages that people can migrate to, which is the core business of the meetings.
“We are trying to persuade each other and meet each other halfway.”
He said the visits to wards started on July 1 and would continue until August 14.
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The housing association also worked with the City of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
“We are really struggling and we won’t be able to let our tenants pay this additional electricity service charge because they will not be able to.
“The imposed monies will cost Own Haven half a million rand a month we do not have.”
National Community Dialogues chair Leonard Ncumbese, who attended the meeting, said the representatives left halfway through after being “bullied and intimidated”.
“Faku declined to speak to the masses and engage. She is afraid of the media, that is what was said inside.
“Faku is provoking the people and they will be targeting municipal events because they want her to address them,” he said.
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