AfriForum asks NERSA to reconsider Parys’ electricity licence
The AfriForum branch in Parys reported the Ngwathe Local Municipality to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) because the municipality does not comply with all the licencing requirements for power distribution, as prescribed by NERSA. There are certain requirements that a licensee must comply with, which the Ngwathe Municipality, however, fails to do.
In AfriForum’s letter, which was sent to NERSA on 12 March, specific emphasis was placed on poor maintenance of the electricity network, the current state of the infrastructure, poor response times to complaints, the municipality’s poor reporting network, long hours of power outages, the volt load that is often faulty and consequently destroys or damages residents’ electrical appliances, and illegal electricity connections.
Municipalities’ service delivery capacity is deteriorating at an alarming rate. This highlights the importance of community involvement in municipalities. Municipalities should seriously consider managing power supply together with private institutions that could do so. It is time for consumers to get value for their money.
According to Alta Pretorius, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Mooi River, the residents of Parys are suffering greatly from the incredibly high number of power outages they are experiencing. “Businesses are suffering a lot of damage and must pay dearly for alternative power sources such as generators. Residents are also suffering because their electrical appliances are often irreparably damaged by the unstable power grid and the insurance no longer wants to pay out,” says Pretorius.
Meanwhile, AfriForum is still awaiting a ruling on the court application the organisation filed with the Bloemfontein High Court in December last year, in which intervention was requested in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. According to this Section, a provincial executive authority can step in and place a municipality under administration when it fails to fulfil its duties; in this case the Ngwathe Municipality. AfriForum is requesting, among other things, an overview of the waterworks so that the competence of workers at the plant can be monitored.
