EFF condemns steeper Eskom electricity tariff hikes after court intervention

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned the approval of higher electricity tariffs for Eskom after a court intervention forced the energy regulator to review its earlier calculations. The party said the decision would deepen the financial pressure on poor and working-class households.

On Tuesday, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) approved revised tariff increases of 8.76% from April 2026 and 8.83% from April 2027. These figures are higher than the previously approved increases of 5.36% and 6.19% for the same periods. The change followed NERSA’s admission that errors had been made in its earlier tariff calculations.

According to the EFF, this outcome shows that ordinary people are being punished for institutional failure. The party said Eskom’s problems created by years of corruption, mismanagement, and poor governance. Yet, the cost is now transferred to consumers. As a result, households are expected to pay more for electricity even though the mistakes were not made by them.

Moreover, the EFF argued that Eskom has already received large bailouts from public funds. Billions of rand injected into the utility to stabilise its finances. However, consumers are again required to cover shortfalls through higher tariffs. In this way, citizens are being charged twice, first as taxpayers and again as electricity users.

Meanwhile, Eskom has spoken of returning to profitability. The EFF rejected this claim as misleading. It said Eskom is a state-owned company, not a private business. Its main duty is to supply reliable and affordable power it.

Furthermore, the party dismissed the argument that electricity must become more expensive to ensure sustainability. It said the public did not create Eskom’s debt and did not cause the breakdown of generation capacity. Still, it is the public that must carry the burden. This, the EFF said, reflects a system that protects executives while ordinary people suffer.

However, the EFF also questioned claims that the energy crisis has ended. Although Eskom has reported reduced load shedding, many communities still experience load reduction and supply interruptions. Wealthier suburbs, in contrast, remain largely protected. Thus, access to electricity continues to reflect class divisions.

In addition, the party warned that rising tariffs will increase food prices and transport cost. Unemployment and stagnant wages are already high. Therefore, the new increases described as an economic attack on the poor.

The EFF called for an immediate halt to further tariff hikes. It also demanded a full review of NERSA’s tariff-setting framework and Eskom’s sustainability model. At the same time, it urged the state to invest in publicly owned renewable energy infrastructure. Such investment, it said, would lower costs and improve energy security.

Ultimately, the party insisted that electricity should be treated as a basic public good. It should not be handled as a commodity driven by profit. Instead, it should support economic growth and improve living conditions.

For this reason, the EFF said the latest decision must be reversed in the interests of social justice and economic fairness.

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