Thembisa’s successful protest against electricity hikes may inspire unrest in other communities facing similar financial strain.
While you cannot blame angry and financially strapped residents of Thembisa for blocking roads and setting tyres alight to protest a new electricity hike, the fact that the City of Ekurhuleni gave in and suspended the charge sets a dangerous precedent.
The people of Thembisa are not the only ones who are at the end of their tether because of snowballing utility costs – most other communities feel the same way.
And if they start similar violent protests, because they have seen that it works, then this country could quickly become sucked into anarchy.
At the same time, municipal authorities in Johannesburg and other metros are chasing down the suburban residents whom they perceive can afford to pay and threatening to cut them off should they be only slightly late in payments.
Billing systems produce outrageous and arbitrary figures for law-abiding homeowners, who need months to sort out the mess.
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In addition, Eskom and municipalities want to deliver an equally outrageous new tax via a licensing fee for solar installations… even those these are reducing strain on our teetering national grid.
All the while, of course, millions are simply not paying for electricity and the unpaid debt continues to be written off to the extent that Eskom is now owed well over a R100 billion.
Taxpayers – the few that there are – will have to pick up this tab.
Once that silent, middle-class minority starts protesting – possibly even by boycotting rates and taxes – then the country could grind to a very bitter halt.
It’s all very well – and correct – to blame the looting, incompetence and cadre deployment of the ANC for the destruction of a functioning power system, but something needs to be done, now.
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Once that fuse of national anger has been lit, you in the government won’t be able to unlight it.