WATCH | Here are some of the parties that voted for the R200 prepaid fee

The ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, Al Jamah and COPE are some of the political parties who voted in favour of the R200 prepaid electricity users’ monthly service fees.

The fee which was proposed twice before but later withdrawn, took effect with other tariff rates hikes in Joburg on Monday and it has since caused unhappiness among financially-burdened homeowners in the city. It was passed by council in May as part of the budget presented by Joburg Finance MMC Dada Morero.

The proposal to charge prepaid electricity users a fee was first initiated by City Power in 2019 and but it faced a backlash and again in 2021 before it was withdrawn. In March the tariff was again tabled in council and take for public participation through the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and it was not opposed in council.

“The view was that you can't have postpaid client paying to have electricity into their house while a prepaid user is only paying for what they consume while they get their power from the same transformer. We voted for it for balance and fairness,” said Amad.

ActionSA said it was against the proposal because it would have financial implications to households. 

“We vehemently objected to the unjustified proposal because we understand the plight of our people and the financially implications... We are of great conviction that City Power can use other means to collect its revenue,” said the party’s caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu. 

DA councillor Tim Truluck said his party rejected the proposal because it was too expensive. 

“People attended the IDP meetings but others were ignorant about what this proposal means and its now coming back to bite them,” said Truluck.

City Power said residents complaining about the tariff fee have no reason to act surprised because the process towards introducing this charge started long ago.

The utility said the R200 will go towards maintaining electricity infrastructure and bringing power into people’s homes. 

“We have the IDP process where we invite residents to give their comments on tariffs. With regards to the R200 service charge, people came, halls were full and they were told about this. Those who say they don't know about this probably ignored these meetings,” Mangena said.

According to Mangena, the exorbitant electricity price they have to pay to Eskom to buy electricity forced them to start charging the “freeloaders” on prepaid the extra R200 for the convenience of just pressing a switch and having the lights go on.

He said the burden of paying for the service fee has always fallen on the shoulders of the postpaid customers.

“Prepaid users have been freeloading for all these years and it is unfair on those that are paying. The cost of electricity is very high. We had to factor in the maintenance of our network, the transmitting of the electricity until it gets to your wall, the price of cables, the salaries of the people working on the network.

“In the spirit of fairness, everyone has to pay,” he said.

Residents already feeling the pinch of high tariffs told Sowetan how this charge will sink them further deep in the financial hole.

Admin clerk Raylene Tshabalala, 37, from Witpoortjie, said raising her three small children and investing in her new small business, with his limited income is already tough for her.

She said she was shocked after she only got 90 units for R500.

“That R500 would normally give me more than 200 units. Currently there are people using power tools in the yard making cupboards, this means before this weekends, I would have to spent another R500. In total, I will spent a R1,000 this week. I usually spend R1,600 a month on electricity so you can see that this is unfair,” said Tshabalala.

Jane Olivier, 53, said she considers finding other means to stay afloat. 

“We might be considering switching to gas stoves however there are costs involved there. I don't think my daughter will be able to cope with this extra electricity charge. We live hand to mouth trying to make ends meet,” said Olivier.

She added that her family can't even afford to switch to solar power like more privileged families.

Witpootjie senior citizen Martin Delport who is a retired firefighter, said him and his wife, are solely dependent on their R2,000 a month social grant and hoping to register as indigent so they can be exempt from the fixed charge. 

This article has been updated to correct the initial one which stated that the Good Party had voted in favour of the tariff. The party’s seat in council was in fact vacant. We apologise for the error.