After much pushback from residents, the City of Joburghannesburg has decided to review the municipality's implementation of a R200 monthly surcharge on prepaid electricity.
Speaking in a special council meeting on Tuesday, City of Johannesburg finance MMC Dada Morero said the mayoral committee decided to review the controversial fee after being inundated with complaints from residents.
“The issues raised by council on the R200 availability charge. In actual fact the mayoral committee has also noted and heard concerns coming from communities and civil organisations about the amount of the availability charge,” he said.
“The availability charge was brought to this council in 2018 but due to Covid-19 [outbreak] this council resolved to suspend the implementation of the availability charge. It is therefore along those bases that we stand as the executive, having listened to what has come from our communities, that we are willing to enter a process to look at this availability charge and its impact on residents and undergo a process to review this amount.”
Morero said the council would still have to deliberate on the process which it would follow to review implementation of the policy. “That review will have to take into consideration the necessary and relevant legislative processes that would have been undertaken to arrive at this amount. This executive brings to council a commitment to relook and review this availability charge amount,” he said.
Joburg to review R200 prepaid electricity fee: finance MMC
Dada Morero said the mayoral committee took the decision to review the surcharge following a pushback by residents
Image: Gallo Images/Fani Mahuntsi)
After much pushback from residents, the City of Joburghannesburg has decided to review the municipality's implementation of a R200 monthly surcharge on prepaid electricity.
Speaking in a special council meeting on Tuesday, City of Johannesburg finance MMC Dada Morero said the mayoral committee decided to review the controversial fee after being inundated with complaints from residents.
“The issues raised by council on the R200 availability charge. In actual fact the mayoral committee has also noted and heard concerns coming from communities and civil organisations about the amount of the availability charge,” he said.
“The availability charge was brought to this council in 2018 but due to Covid-19 [outbreak] this council resolved to suspend the implementation of the availability charge. It is therefore along those bases that we stand as the executive, having listened to what has come from our communities, that we are willing to enter a process to look at this availability charge and its impact on residents and undergo a process to review this amount.”
Morero said the council would still have to deliberate on the process which it would follow to review implementation of the policy. “That review will have to take into consideration the necessary and relevant legislative processes that would have been undertaken to arrive at this amount. This executive brings to council a commitment to relook and review this availability charge amount,” he said.
R200 prepaid tariff a necessary intervention – Joburg mayor
Morero made the announcement as ActionSA and DA councillors raised the issue at council .
A petition initiated by the DA calling on residents to protest against the surcharge had 15,088 signatures by Tuesday night. “We believe all residents of Johannesburg should be treated fairly. Good governance is non-negotiable. We have, therefore, written to the finance MMC to urgently review or do away with the surcharge, and provide clarity on the business surcharge and how it will be used to the benefit of residents,” the petition reads.
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