The Democratic Alliance is approaching the High Court to halt new electricity tariffs in Nelson Mandela Bay, arguing the public was not fully informed of the changes. The municipality says it followed all required processes before implementing the increases in July.
The DA announced its legal action at a press conference in Gqeberha on 14 July. Party mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal said the municipality scrapped the inclining block tariff system without proper disclosure during public meetings held in March.
Odendaal stated that the effective increase for many households reached 25 to 30 percent, and nearly 92 percent for some low-income residents on the Assistance to the Poor programme. He added that meetings occurred during office hours with limited attendance and no clear explanatory materials.
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the 2026-2027 budget and tariffs were adopted under the Municipal Finance Management Act and approved by NERSA. The municipality noted it would respond once served with court papers.
