SDCEA takes on Eskom

‘Down with electricity hikes, down! Eskom, you are a crook!’ – these were some of the chants from the protesters at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) electricity protest on Friday, 26 June, at the Eskom offices in Westville.

Some of the protesters were residents from Wentworth, Umlazi and greater Durban communities, organisations such as the Right2Know campaign and Groundwork.

Noluthando Mbeje, in charge of communications and projects for SDCEA, said, “We have been having meetings and thought it was important that we speak out.

“Eskom needs to consult with community when making decisions,” she added.

The organisation is concerned with coal being used to produce electricity as this has negative impacts on the public’s health and the environment.

“They must use more sustainable ways of producing electricity – if we are struggling now, how will we cope with the increase of tariffs?” Mbeje said.

Community members that were at the protest were mostly pensioners, and they felt that the utility is harsher on them when it comes to electricity tariffs.

“There are four people live in my house. I am 65 years old, and my electricity bill has accumulated to R24 865.48 in over six months,” said Wentworth resident, Denice Adams.

At the moment, Adams’ lights are cut off and she feels she has exhausted all possible revenues that could help in her matter.

SDCEA handed the memorandum to the senior manager of the Eskom Distribution Customer Service office in Westville.

In the memorandum, some of the demands SDCEA had for Eskom were that they must revoke its proposed residential tariff restructuring and instead implement a revised inclining block tariff, with a broader lower band for which the tariff is set at 0c/kWh for the first 100kWh per person per month, and with a more rapid increase in price for those South African households and corporations whose electricity consumption remains at irresponsibly luxury levels.

The organisation also wants the utility to engage meaningfully with the people of South Africa to develop an alternative energy plan that does not lead to the burden passed onto the poor and destroys the environment for the present and future generation.

Coral Vinsen from Durban North has solar panels and produces her own electricity; she feels more households should be using this sustainable method to produce electricity for their homes.

After the handing over of the memorandum, the organisation hoped for better responses and consultation from Eskom.