Just when South Africans thought there was light at the end of the tunnel, City Power has pulled the rug out from under them with the stealthily executed introduction of load reduction - otherwise known as load shedding.
Claims that this move was necessary due to increased electricity usage during the winter months seem disingenuous. Temperatures have dropped, people are staying indoors more, and they need to keep warm. Consequently, electricity usage is bound to increase.
This begs the question: how is it possible that, despite their many years of combined experience, neither Eskom nor City Power had made any contingency plans to mitigate higher seasonal demand?
Adding insult to injury, City Power proceeded to slap its some 250 000 prepaid customers with a R200 service fee for a service not being delivered with consistency. Even more gallingly, this fee hike was introduced without consultation, and with just one week's notice, effectively profiting from an additional R50-million from hard hit consumers each month.
Meanwhile, many South African households are being forced to drastically cut back on the basics given persistently high inflation and interest rates.
