People Can't Afford Power

ESKOM: SCOPA MEMBER SLAMS 'EXORBITANT HIKES'

- Faizel Patel

South Africans cannot afford Eskom's exorbitant electricity tariff increases, according to the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa).

"Electricity is skyrocketing in terms of prices. People cannot afford it," said the EFF's Veronica Mente during a Scopa briefing by the auditor-general (AG) on Eskom's annual reports and financial statements.

"No-one can afford electricity in South Africa and if they keep increasing tariffs with the hope that they are collecting revenue to strengthen their finances, that's not a way to go."

Eskom received a qualified audit opinion with findings for the 2023-24 financial year.

"The problems at Eskom are not money or funding; the problem at Eskom is systems. Their systems are a mess; leadership is a mess.

"Problems at Eskom are not dealt with; you have highlighted them under financial management and your outcomes in terms of the qualification," Mente said.

Business unit leader at the AG Madidimalo Singo said there were three areas they were worried about in the audit report.