Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda speaks to the media at the Hector Pietersen memorial in Soweto in celebration of Youth Day, 16 June 2023. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
The mayor assured residents that the city understands residents’ economic challenges but must act responsibly to ensure equality and sustainability.“The new electricity surcharge is a necessary intervention to create fairness and equality in the city’s tariffs regime. Post-paid customers have been paying the surcharge and only pre-paid customers were excluded.
“ActionSA maintains our objection to the unjustified service charges, particularly because we acknowledge the plight of residents, especially those languishing in poverty or just about managing to make ends meet, who simply cannot bear the extra burden imposed by the governing chaos coalition,” said the party’s caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu.