The DA will approach the High Court over NERSA’s tariff hike. Image: Pixabay.
DA challenges Eskom tariff hike and load shedding in High Court
The High Court challenge will argue that load shedding and the government response to the crisis violate the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The DA will approach the High Court over NERSA’s tariff hike. Image: Pixabay.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) intends to approach the High Court to have the recent Eskom tariff hike granted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) overturned. The decision by the regulator was met with rage across the country.
DA APPROACHES COURT FOR ESKOM TARIFF RELIEF
NERSA granted Eskom a 18.65% tariff increase for the 2023/2024 financial year, and another 12.74% increase for the next financial year. The price hike is expected to kick in on 1 April 2023.
The DA said electricity tariffs have increased by more than 650% since the electricity crisis started in 2007, which is quadruple the inflation rate over the same period.
The tariff increase, which came while South Africa was subject to continuous Stage 6 load shedding, sparked a strong response from political parties and the public at large and there were calls for an electricity protest from far and wide.
The DA has labelled its protest the “Power To The People” march. It is set for 25 January and protestors will make their way to the headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC), Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
The DA instructed its lawyers to apply for an interdict against the increase pending the following relief:
- The DA argues that NERSA’s decision of 12 January 2023 is inconsistent with the Constitution and should be declared invalid and set aside.
- The party wants the court to have the ongoing decisions to implement load shedding declared invalid and set aside as it is inconsistent with the Consitution.
- To have the government’s response to the energy crisis declared invalid and set aside as it is inconsistent with the Constitution.
- The DA also wants the court to declare that the government’s response to the electricity crisis failed to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights and thereby limited several rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The opposition party also wants the court to tell the government to file a comprehensive plan to stop the energy crisis within 30 days.
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