EDITORIAL | R230 electricity surcharge shows citizens need to be more than couch activists

The introduction of a R230 surcharge for prepaid electricity customers of City Power, the Johannesburg Metro Council’s electricity utility, has unleashed angst and consternation across the country’s economic hub.

Calls for the scrapping of the fixed charge have been on the increase following the disclosure early this week that prepaid customers will be levied the surcharge effective July 1. The fee was twice proposed before, but abandoned.

Those most concerned about this say they have become sitting ducks: the city will simply take its portion as and when they buy electricity without much negotiation. Many opted for prepaid to avoid the city’s billing crisis of the past, but now they have nowhere to run.

For a city struggling to raise revenue and battling to get its customers who are not on prepaid to pay, this scheme is a master stroke — a gift that will keep on giving without them having to raise a finger.

But what is concerning is that many are only now becoming aware that the decision was already taken in May. This followed a proposal backed by finance MMC Dada Morero of the ANC supported by, among others, the Patriotic Alliance, COPE, ATM, PAC, APC, Good Party, Al Jama-ah and AIC. Many are surprised at this scheme just as they were surprised when e-tolls were introduced, forcing them to ask post facto what process was followed in introducing what essentially are new taxes.

The answer, in short, is that many South Africans eschew participation in issues of governance in the hope that a NGO will pick up the fight on their behalf.

It may be true that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) led the battle against e-tolls until they were scrapped. But this was 14 years after the taxes were introduced. It may also be true that Outa has expressed outrage at the Joburg R230 monthly surcharge, but it is anyone’s guess if it will win this battle and, further, how long it will take. What’s also different in this case is that City Power doesn’t have to negotiate with customers for payment in the manner the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) had to.

The reason City Power, but also Sanral, sprang a surprise on citizens is because the notion of “active citizenry” is a theory. It applied to many when the enemy was a well-defined apartheid system. The irony is that citizens need to be much more active for democracy to serve them better.

In Kenya, the youth decided in the last few weeks that they could not sit on their hands watching legislators come up with new taxes that will affect their lives negatively. They invaded the seat of parliament and lives were lost as the government of William Ruto unleashed a harsh clampdown. Ruto appeared steadfast in his determination to avoid a debt default from the World Bank, IMF and Chinese lenders. But the more brute force he used, the more the youth put their foot down, forcing the president to agree to negotiation.

Whatever will come of the negotiations is immaterial, what is clear is that the Gen Z of Kenya have made it clear that the country’s leadership can’t just entangle them in unending taxes without a popular response. In South Africa’s commercial capital, the ANC knows it is possible to speak empathetically about poverty while fleecing rate payers of their meagre earnings in a very tough economy because many are nothing but couch activists.

The city boasts an R83bn budget — yet there’s hardly much to show for it. Its own offices are inhabitable, the roads are in a state of disrepair, water infrastructure is derelict while the inner city is overflowing with uncollected refuse.

The city of gold seems determined to mine its residents until they become uncomfortable enough to leave their couches for the streets.