Sustained pressure from the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) and the community has compelled the Ekurhuleni Metro to scrap the electricity reconnection fee of R1 725.
Prior to the abolition of the reconnection fee, residents were required to pay R1 725 when power cables supplying electricity to their homes were stolen. This effectively penalised residents for the criminal conduct of cable thieves.
The Freedom Front Plus was inundated with complaints from residents who received bills for the reconnection fee. Many residents, who were unable to pay the fee immediately, had to get by without electricity for extended periods.
The party outlined the situation in a letter to the Mayor, Mr Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, and discussed the matter with him personally.
The Mayor granted the Freedom Front Plus’s request and confirmed in his State of the City Address that the fee would be scrapped from 1 July.
This victory would not have been possible without the residents who were willing to take a stand against it with the Freedom Front Plus.
The Freedom Front Plus wants to thank Ms Tracey Serfontein, in particular, whose activism brought the unfairness of the issue to the public’s attention.
The party remains committed to fighting for fairness, transparency and responsible governance of the Ekurhuleni Metro, both in the council chambers and at grass-roots level.
