Ngomhla weshumi kweyeDwarha wonyaka ophelileyo, iziko eliphehlelela umbane u-Eskom lenze isicelo kuMhlawuli wezaMandla weSizwe waseMzantsi Afrika (National Energy Regualtion of South Afrika (NERSA)) ukuze amkelwe kwisicelo sakhe soMrhumo woRhwebo kunye noLungiso lweSicwangciso (Retail Tariff and Structural Adjustment application (ERTSA)) kunye neShedyuli yeRhafu yethuba elisusela kumhla wokuqala kuTshazimpuzi walonyaka sikuye ukuya kowama shumi amathathu ananye kweyoKwindla 2025.
Ngomhla weshumi elinesine kweyoMnga kunyaka ophelileyo, iNERSA imisele ukonyuswa kweerhafu ngo 2024/25, okusebenzayo kuluhlu lweerhafu ezithenqo zabathengi bakwa-Eskom ukusuka ngomhla wokuqala kuTshanzimpunzi walonyaka, kunye neerhafu zika-Eskom zoomasipala ukusuka ngomhla wokuqala kweyeKhala walonyaka.
UManejala jikelele kulawulo kwa-Eskom, uHasha Tlhotlhalemaje uthe ukonyuka kwamaxabiso ombane okuphindwe kabini kunyaka ophelileyo nalo sikuwo, kungenxa yokunqongophala kwemali yokugcina izikhululo zamandla ombane, kwakunye neerhafu ezingabonisi xabiso lombane lokwenene. Ethetha ngekamva lokunyuka kwe tariff, lo ka Tlhotlhalemaje wolathe umba wokuba ungaphinde unyuke ngaphezulu, esithi i-Eskom “indlela yokufuduka” izama ukudala iirhafu “ezibonisa iindleko” zexabiso lokuvelisa umbane.
Peter Attard Montalto olawulayo eKruthum (eyayifudula iyi Intellidex ngaphambili) uqale ngokuthi uMzantsi Afrika ukhangeleka engenazo ezinye iindlela ezishiyekileyo zamaxabiso ombane. Ehlomla ngokunyuswa kombane kunyaka uphelileyo uMontalto uthe ixabiso lombane liza kubonisa ngokuchanekileyo iindleko zika-Eskom malunga ne 40% ukuya ku 45% ngaphezulu kwamilinganiselo ekhoyo.
U-Eskom uzama ukuhlengahlengisaa amaxabiso akhe ukuya kweli nqanaba ngokukhawuleza kangangoko ukuze ajongane nemiba yakhe ngokuhla kwengeniso, ukunyuka kwamatyala, kunye neemfuno zokusebenza kungoku, ukunyuka kwamaxabiso ngungamandla. Engenzi bulungisa ukunyusa kwamaxabiso, uTlhotlhamaje uthe xa sihleli nje, umbane usenexabiso eliphantsi. “Ukuba sizithelekisa nohlobo olufanayo lwamaqela abathengi bakwamanye amazwe, umbane waseMzantsi afrika usenexabiso eliphantsi ngoko sizama inqanaba elifikelelayo kwiindleko eziphantsi ezifanelekileyo zokuvelisa loo mbane” utshilo uTlhotlhamaje.
U-Tlhotlhamaje ukwacacisa ukuba imiceli-mngeni yokusebenza ejongene no-eskom ziziphumo zezigqibo ezimbi ezenziwa kwixesha elidlulileyo.
“khumbula ukuba sikwishishini lexesha elide, ngoku izinto ezinokuthi zenzekile kwiminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo ifuthe livakala ngoku” utshilo exoxa ngezigqibo ezinxulumene nokuba namandla. “Asikokutshintsha kwesiqhuphe kwaye enye yezizinto zibe negalelo kukuba u-Eskom akazange wanikwa inkxaso-mali eyaneleyo ukuze aqhubeke nokugcina amaziko ombane” wongeze watsho.Umhlalutyi wezopolitiko ozimeleyo uNjingalwaz Sipho Seepe ungqinele nenxenye yoku, esithi ukungaxhaswa ngezimali ko-eskom iqale “ngenxa yokusilela kolawulo lwangaphambili zange zifune ukuhoya iingcebiso zeengcaphephe zokutyala imali kuthungelwano lombane ukuze lihambelane nemfuno zabathengi, kwandiswe ukufikeleleka kombane kunye nokwenza ukukhula koqoqosho lwelizwe”.