COSATU Congress of South African Trade Union : Free State calls on NERSA to re-convene its hearing to consult the masses on electricity tariffs

COSATU Free State calls on NERSA to re-convene its hearing to consult the masses on electricity tariffs

22 January 2016

COSATU Free State rejects the move by NERSA to cancel the public hearing in the Free State on application of ESKOM to have a second tariff increase in one year

We hereby to implore upon NERSA to reconsider the decision to cancel the hearing and allow citizens of the Free State to be heard by NERSA before a decision is made on one of the controversial requests ever made from Eskom to hike electricity tariffs for the second time in one year!

We are just not certain that when the decision is taken and all Provincial inputs are considered what will reflect under Free State in the light of the cancellation.

Will the report reflect on the Free State, will it say it was covered? And that the requirement on your part (as NERSA) to consult the affected people before a decision has been made has been fulfilled?

We would like to register with NERSA the reality that Free State is actually a rural province whereby notices sent by emails and which requires registration and responses by email do not reach ordinary workers and the unemployed masses in the province who will be directly affected by the decision to hike the tariffs.

It is therefore our inference that the decision was arrived at using an unfair tool of access to the electronic media rather than giving a chance to the people who are affected to hear out what Eskom has got to say on the matter.

It is worth mentioning that in the Free State we have a record of full participation in the public hearings and all matter which affects our livelihoods and that despite the what you have cited as a reason for cancellation (only one presenter having been confirmed) there are people and organizations (like Churches) with interest on the very same matter.

We firmly believe that people of the Free State deserve a chance to be heard by the regulatory body before a decision is made about such a crucial matter like the electricity prices.

Reports from Eskom indicates that Free State is amongst the highly indebted provinces on the electricity bills, we would have expected the regulatory body to be concerned about that an willing to listen whether is the high price of electricity that is causing municipalities to default or is it something else.

In the light of the above-mentioned, we hereby implore upon NERSA to review its decision on the cancellation of the Public Hearing in the Free State and schedule such a hearing to hear out the Free State people on the matter.

Issued by COSATU Free State

Enquiries: Monyatso oa Mahlatsi, COSATU Free State Provincial Secretary at 076 115 9923

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