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The DA in the Western Cape calls on Nersa to consider the needs of the already overburdened public amid the proposed tariff hike for Eskom.

The 32% increase proposed by Eskom is outrageous, given the dire economic condition of the country.

Many people in the Western Cape are already struggling to keep up with rising food prices.

According to Stats SA, the food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) index increased by 11.3% year-on-year for August.

This begs the question - what has come of President Ramaphosa's commitment and strategy to putting an end to loadshedding?

Consumers and businesses are paying to have power for only half a day, and the proposed increase is laughable.

We are stuck in a situation where we are consistently being asked to pay more, for less service delivery, and this is unacceptable.

In contrast to these failures, the DA-led Western Cape Government has put in place plans in place to mitigate our residents’ reliance on Eskom, including small-scale embedded generation frameworks that have been put in place in 22 of our province’s municipalities.

This innovation will allow businesses and consumers who generate electricity to feed it back into the grid to be redistributed, all while being compensated for what they produce.

The DA in the Western Cape rejects Eskom’s tariff increase proposal in the strongest terms, and calls on Nersa to show a semblance of a social conscience when considering any increase in Eskom rates.

Issued by Cayla Murray, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism