Dear Editor
While DA-run governments incentivise the use of self-generating, renewable energy, Eskom is planning to charge South African on-grid solar users to pay R938 per month if they don’t use its electricity.
In November 2022, the Western Cape Government launched its Municipal Energy Resilience (MER) project, which develops, supports, and builds the capacity of municipalities, businesses, and households to generate or procure their own renewable energy.
Municipalities across the Western Cape work closely with the provincial government to develop solutions to the energy crisis. In George, for example, a solar plant at their Civic Centre supplies electricity to the building itself and excess electricity is fed back into the grid to supply nearby households. And in the City of Cape Town hydroelectricity generation at the Steenbras Hydro Pump Station has brought much-needed relief to residents during loadshedding. To name only two out of many examples.
Today, twenty-four municipalities in the Western Cape allow small-scale renewable energy generation and many of these municipalities offer compensation for businesses and households who are feeding energy back into the grid because they are self-generating.
The ANC government is unable to fix Eskom and is now placing the burden on South African citizens to pick up the slack. In a time where the cost of living has become unbearable for most, this shows just how out of touch they are with the real challenges our people are facing daily.
Over-taxing South Africans is not a solution to the Eskom problem. The ANC government must come to its senses and implement logical and sustainable solutions. They can come to the Western Cape. We will show them how it’s done.
Regards
Tertuis Simmers
DA Provincial Leader, Western Cape
