Abahlali baseGeorge bazobhekana nokwenyuka okulinganayo kuka-7.88% kuzo zonke izigaba zentela kagesi ezikhokhwa kumasipala kusukela mhla ka-1 Julayi wonyaka wezimali ka-2026-2027.
U-Cllr Monique Simmers (DA), ekhuluma egameni likaMeya uBrowen Johnson ngesikhathi ethula inkulumo kamasipala, uveze ukuthi umasipala uzithwala ingxenye yokwenyuka kuka-9.01% kwezindleko zikagesi ezithengwa ku-Eskom.
Imizamo kaMeya yokuxhumana neNersa (National Energy Regulator of South Africa) ukuze kwehliswe umthelela wokwenyuka ayiphumelelanga. Nokho, kuthathwe isinqumo sokuthi ukwenyuka okugcwele kuka-Eskom kungadluliselwa ngokuphelele kubathengi. USimmers uthe u-7.88% yizinga eliphansi kakhulu elingasetshenziswa ngaphandle kokubeka umasipala engozini yezimali. Uxwayise ngokuthi uma kungabi khona ukwenyuka, izakhamuzi zingase zibhekane nezinsizakalo ezingasebenzi kahle, ukonakala kwengqalasizinda kanye nezinkinga zesikhathi eside kwezezimali.
U-Cllr Roxaan Vorster (GOOD) wamukela imibono etholwe emphakathini mayelana nalokhu kwenyuka kukagesi, into iqembu lakhe elake layiphakamisa emhlanganweni wangaphambilini. Kodwa waphinde wagcizelela ukuthi iqembu lakhe alisekeli ukwenyuka. Uthe, “UMasipala waseGeorge wenza inzuzo enkulu ngokuthengisa ugesi, kodwa kukhona ukushoda kokutshalwa kwezimali ekugcinweni kwengqalasizinda.”
U-Cllr Sifiso Ntondini (ANC) naye uphikise lokhu kwenyuka. Uthe, “Singumasipala, hhayi ibhizinisi. Umsebenzi wethu ukuhlinzeka ngezinsizakalo, hhayi ukwenza inzuzo.” Wengeze ngokuthi umnotho wamanje ubeka ingcindezi enkulu kubantu njengoba amabhizinisi evala nabantu belahlekelwa yimisebenzi, ngakho lokhu kufanele kubhekwe.
Ngokombiko owethulwe yinhloko yoMnyango Wezobuchwepheshe Bakagesi, uMichael Rhode, ucwaningo lwe-Cost of Supply (CoS) lwakhombisa ukuthi isidingo semali engenayo sasiyizigidigidi eziyi-R1.2 ngonyaka wezimali ka-2024/2025. Lokhu kulindeleke ukuthi kukhuphuke kufinyelele ku-R1.4 billion ngo-2026/2027 ngenxa yokukhuphuka kwezindleko ezifana nokukhuphuka kwamanani, izindleko zabasebenzi kanye nokwenyuka kuka-Eskom.
