Despite the troubles facing South Africa’s biggest power utility company Eskom, some South Africans think they are overpaying for power.
Residents of Soweto want their debt to Eskom written off, and their monthly electricity charge pegged at a flat rate of R100, for unlimited power.
Already, most of Soweto residents don’t pay for their electricity. Out of 135,000 Soweto residents, only 12% pay their bills. Currently, Soweto owes Eskom at total of R18 billion. This is a sharp increase from the 2014 amount of R3.6 billion.
Eskom has threatened to take action by disconnecting non-paying customers, and removing illegal connections. They also want to migrate more houses to the pre-paid network.
Residents however argue that they cannot afford to pay their current dues, leave alone the debt they’ve owed over the years. They are therefore proposing a flat monthly rate for unlimited electricity.
“We understand that Eskom needs revenue so that it fulfils its mandate. The people of Soweto are prepared to negotiate the value as long as Eskom can agree to the principle of a flat rate,” said Soweto resident Mxolisi Mdluli.
The residents have also launched an underground illegal operation, to re-connect houses disconnected by Eskom for no charge.
