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Soweto residents protest for electricity sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-afr…
The perennial calls for an electricity flat rate, as demanded by SOME, residents of Soweto, need to be dismissed by civic leaders, local authorities, politicians and all other reasonable South Africans. A flat rate, irrespective of consumption patterns, will create big problems.
Imagine demanding your cellphone operator or Multichoice for a flat rate of R50 irrespective of your usage. That's unthinkable. Why then do we want Eskom to do the unthinkable?
The Energy White Paper of 1998 states, amongst others, that government needs to embark on an education campaign to encourage residents to pay for the services rendered to them. If this means doing the door to door campaigns as we've experienced during the elections, let it be.
In the unlikely event of Soweto residents getting a flat rate, then the government needs to be to extend the same service to all customers, be they from Sandton to Sandfontein.
Let's talk frankly, Mzansi.
While we're at it, instead of marching to Eskom offices, or perhaps in addition to marching, ward councillors should be assisting the indigents within their areas to get registered for free basic electricity (FBE). With FBE and energy efficiency, you don't need a flat rate.
