The newly drafted Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill that was published in the Government Gazette last week, aims to protect consumers.

Kevin Mileham, DA spokesperson on Electricity and Energy in parliament, announced the newly drafted bill with a visit to Bloemfontein on Tuesday 20 October.

He said South Africans had to accept the price hikes that include paying extra for calculation mistakes made by Eskom and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), the recovery of arrears, and “guesstimates” of the cost to supply electricity.

“The recent R54,7 billion correction to Eskom’s revenue determination illustrates the problem. Errors in Nersa’s calculations have resulted in further increases being included in future electricity tariffs, including the 8,83% increase approved for 2027-’28.”

He said municipalities’ income from electricity should be ringfenced to upgrade infrastructure to ensure the availability of electricity to consumers.

During a site visit to Estoire, residents showed the dangerous and dilapidated electricity infrastructure in this area where several businesses operate from.

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In one such instance, the transformer in Carl van Pletzen Avenue leaks oil. A resident of Estoire and chairman of the Estoire Neighbourhood Watch, Fanie van der Walt, says the power box next to the pole gets flooded every time it rains.

Just around the corner in Hoof Avenue, a power mast is fastened to a tree – preventing it from toppling over onto the road. The mast had to be stabilised after the overhead power line drooped so low that it created a danger to passing vehicles.

Werner Pretorius, the DA’s mayoral candidate for Mangaung, says residents of the metro are now so accustomed to failing electricity because of a lack of maintenance.

“In Bainsvlei, the slightest of wind causes power interruptions and in Westdene there is a huge problem with cable theft that leaves residents without power. If the DA comes into power in Mangaung, we will heavily invest in the power network of the city and surrounding towns of the metro.”

Mileham says especially in areas on the outskirts of the city like Estoire and other areas that are developing into industrial areas, the infrastructure was never adjusted accordingly.

“Power outages because of failing infrastructure could last weeks if not months and would seriously affect residents and businesses.”