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The DA's relentless fight against Eskom’s upcoming tariff hike has now reached the national stage, as the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, has granted our request for a Debate of Urgent Public Importance on the matter. This crucial debate is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 3 September 2024.

We welcome this opportunity to bring the DA's concerns and those of millions of South Africans to Parliament. The debate will focus on the legality of Eskom being allowed to impose a 4% increase that it wants to levy on consumers through its Regulatory Clearing Account next year, which could see the struggling power utility collecting an additional R8 billion from consumers.

In addition to this significant victory in Parliament, we are proud to announce that the DA’s petition against these outrageous tariff increases has now surpassed 50,000 signatures. This overwhelming support from the public highlights the widespread opposition to NERSA's decision, which could lead to devastating increases in electricity costs for ordinary South Africans.

Furthermore, the DA is not standing alone in this fight. Both the City of Cape Town and Tshwane have now also written to NERSA, formally objecting to the proposed tariff increases. This united front underscores the growing resistance to Eskom’s attempts to burden South Africans with unaffordable electricity costs.

The DA remains steadfast in its commitment to fighting these increases tooth and nail. The scheduling of this debate is a crucial step forward in our efforts to protect South African households from the severe financial burdens that these electricity tariff increases would impose.

The DA cares deeply about the financial difficulties facing everyone in this country, and we will continue to lead the charge against these unconscionable tariff hikes.

Issued by Kevin Mileham MP - DA Spokesperson on Energy and Electricity