Diepkloof residents, councillors and Eskom at standoff over high tariffs
Diepkloof residents say, 'We do not want the prepaid meters because we do not have money'
Diepkloof residents have expressed their frustration about having to buy prepaid electricity for the installed Eskom Prepaid Meter Devices in their homes, saying that they are unable to keep up with the expensive electricity while unemployed or underpaid in large households.
The residents from different wards in Diepkloof met and took their complaints and grievances to the Ward 26 councilor, Paulos Mazibu who explained that the municipality has no control over Eskom, and that when Eskom started installing or upgrade their systems, the councilors were told that the upgrades had to be unrolled
This delayed the process and the power utility was in talks with the councillors about the unrolling of the prepaid meters.
The residents met at Elitheni Primary School where they discussed their grievances and concluded that a petition should be submitted about the electricity woes. This petition was signed by all the residents who were at the protest.
Diepkloof resident Snowy Maseko attended the meeting along with others who vented their frustrations against Eskom and the Ward 26 who councillor they assumed allowed Eskom to install the prepaid meters before he clarified that the Eskom upgrade was a matter which was out of his and the municipality’s hands.
Maseko said, “We do not want the prepaid meters because we do not have this money.”
Mazibu said, “The residents are feeling the pressure of having to buy prepaid electricity and now they are blaming councilors, but the sad truth is that even Eskom blamed councillors for delaying the process of their upgrades when they started to installing the prepaid meter systems, so they demanded continuation even when we suggested consultation.”
S’fiso Ngcobo said that the electricity depletes quicker which is taxing on their pockets.
The residents decided to take their issues to the Eskom Offices in Diepkloof, Zone Six in hope of receiving answers and maybe a resolution that would perhaps free them from their woes, however, Eskom’s media relations officer,
Tumi Mashishi explained, “The Split Metering technology is a system aimed at upgrading the current network so as to provide a better quality of supply which will ensure less interruptions, reduced overloading of transformers and automatic detection of faults.”
Mashishi continued, “Through this technology, the safety of communities will be improved and the number of fatalities and injuries will reduce. Customers will have better control over their consumption.”
“Eskom does not have an indigent policy, but the City of Johannesburg has a programme called the Expanded Social Package (ESP), Siyasizana through which it assists households with unemployed and old people using their own criteria. The CoJ should be consulted for more information on this programme.”
She added that the government also provides Free Basic Electricity (FBE) to deserving citizens in Soweto and that the City of Johannesburg as government determines who qualifies for the FBE and the period thereof. A list of those who qualify is then sent to Eskom so that they are registered to receive FBE.
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