The North West ANC Youth League is concerned about the current energy crisis because of the negative impact it is having on the country’s economy, households and small businesses.
The league also slammed the planned 18% price hikes saying it would be an extra burden for cash-strapped households to carry.
This emerged on Wednesday when the league handed over a memorandum to the North West Premier Bushy Maape together with Eskom’s representative Kolodi Makola at the Eskom Provincial Offices in Rustenburg.
The League’s Provincial Chairperson Wessels Moroeng said the energy crisis and electricity tariff hikes are having a negative impact on the country’s economy, and will increase the burden on disadvantaged households.
“We, as the ANCYL, saw fit today to gather and picket at Eskom’s offices, primarily to raise our concerns around the nonsensical 18,5% tariff hike by Nersa.
“That on its own must be rejected because it can rob Peter to pay Paul. With the crisis that we are faced as a country, where the economy is collapsing, it can’t be that our people must bear the brunt of being able to assist the mess that Eskom finds itself in.
“What is happening at Eskom is nothing else but the rooted corruption that was left for years to find habitats around Eskom. Our leadership must be able to stand up and provide direction as far as the crisis at Eskom is concerned, not our people bearing the brunt or paying the tariffs that are nonsensical in my view, ” said Moroeng.
Premier Maape when accepting the memorandum said in a bid to alleviate the impact of load shedding, the government will subsidise emerging businesses and black businesses that were negatively affected by loadshedding and also source generators for municipalities.
The Premier said the load shedding crisis must be addressed urgently as it affects everyone.
“Firstly we have the right to raise issues, we have the right to protest, we have the right to march, moreover when we do this in a very disciplined manner, we should be allowed to express our views, so it will never be wrong for people to raise their displeasure whenever they note that government is not performing.
“The first point I wish to highlight is that the President over this week has met with the Eskom committee. They have looked at the problem. The President has actually canceled his trip to Davos in order to give serious attention to this issue. I know that there will be a cabinet meeting of cabinet next week, where these issues will be further elaborated on,” said the Premier.
Eskom’s Makola said he was concerned about illegal connections and has requested the Youth League’s assistance in clamping down on illegal connections and those who are not fairly using the electricity when it’s available.
Earlier on Wednesday Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the government acknowledged the frustration of South Africans, on issues related to the delivery of basic services and urged that concerns should be raised in a peaceful and legitimate platform.
“During this difficult period, citizens, business, organised labour, wider social formations and government need to pull together to overcome the current challenges. We are a resilient nation and will overcome these difficulties that afflict us”.
Gungubele said the Constitution guarantees the rights of citizens to embark on protests, however protests must be done responsibly and within the confines of the law.
“The destruction of property and the infringement of the rights of others cannot be tolerated. Such acts of destruction similarly add to our woes as at times they destroy the very infrastructure which is needed to allow the economy to grow,” the Minister said.
