The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has once again demonstrated its blatant disregard for the Northern Cape by excluding it from the planned public hearings on electricity tariffs. Instead, residents of this vast province are expected to travel approximately 120 kilometres to Bloemfontein in the Free State to participate in these critical discussions. This exclusion is not only impractical but deeply insulting to the 1.4 million people of the Northern Cape—a province that has long been treated as an afterthought by the South African government.
The Northern Cape, already one of the poorest provinces in the country, faces severe socioeconomic challenges, including limited access to economic opportunities, development, and essential resources. Yet, time and again, the government sidelines this province, relegating its residents to the bottom of the agenda while other regions enjoy equitable inclusion.
NERSA’s actions highlight the systemic neglect of the Northern Cape. Take Sol Plaatje Municipality, for example, which suffers from exorbitant electricity tariffs and was recently downgraded to a Level 4 Municipality. This downgrade reflects the dire challenges faced by the region and its residents, who are already battling mismanagement and inadequate services. It is deeply unjust that the people of this municipality—already burdened by these hardships—are now expected to travel to another province to voice their concerns about electricity tariffs.
Section 195 of the Constitution of South Africa mandates that public administration must be inclusive, equitable, and representative of all citizens. By excluding the Northern Cape from these public hearings, NERSA is in clear violation of these constitutional principles. How are residents from remote areas like Joe Morolong Municipality in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District expected to attend these hearings? For many, the costs and logistical challenges involved make it virtually impossible, effectively silencing their voices.
This is not merely an oversight—it is a continuation of the South African government’s long-standing tendency to ignore the Northern Cape. The province’s residents are consistently treated as second-class citizens, receiving only the crumbs of national attention and resources.
We demand the following actions:
Immediate Inclusion: NERSA must schedule public hearings within the Northern Cape, particularly in Kimberley, to ensure accessibility for residents.
Tariff Review: A transparent and fair review of electricity tariffs in Sol Plaatje Municipality to address the glaring disparities compared to wealthier municipalities in other provinces.
Equity in Public Engagement: Government entities must adopt inclusive frameworks that ensure all provinces, especially historically marginalised ones like the Northern Cape, are treated equitably.
Failure to address these issues will only confirm what many already suspect: that the Northern Cape is deliberately sidelined, its residents left to endure systemic neglect while their constitutional rights are ignored. This injustice cannot and will not be tolerated.
NERSA’s Continued Neglect of the Northern Cape Province: A Constitutional Injustice
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has once again demonstrated its blatant disregard for the Northern Cape by excluding it from the planned public hearings on electricity tariffs. Instead, residents of this vast province are expected to travel approximately 120 kilometres to Bloemfontein in the Free State to participate in these critical discussions. This exclusion is not only impractical but deeply insulting to the 1.4 million people of the Northern Cape—a province that has long been treated as an afterthought by the South African government.
The Northern Cape, already one of the poorest provinces in the country, faces severe socioeconomic challenges, including limited access to economic opportunities, development, and essential resources. Yet, time and again, the government sidelines this province, relegating its residents to the bottom of the agenda while other regions enjoy equitable inclusion.
NERSA’s actions highlight the systemic neglect of the Northern Cape. Take Sol Plaatje Municipality, for example, which suffers from exorbitant electricity tariffs and was recently downgraded to a Level 4 Municipality. This downgrade reflects the dire challenges faced by the region and its residents, who are already battling mismanagement and inadequate services. It is deeply unjust that the people of this municipality—already burdened by these hardships—are now expected to travel to another province to voice their concerns about electricity tariffs.
Section 195 of the Constitution of South Africa mandates that public administration must be inclusive, equitable, and representative of all citizens. By excluding the Northern Cape from these public hearings, NERSA is in clear violation of these constitutional principles. How are residents from remote areas like Joe Morolong Municipality in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District expected to attend these hearings? For many, the costs and logistical challenges involved make it virtually impossible, effectively silencing their voices.
This is not merely an oversight—it is a continuation of the South African government’s long-standing tendency to ignore the Northern Cape. The province’s residents are consistently treated as second-class citizens, receiving only the crumbs of national attention and resources.
We demand the following actions:
Immediate Inclusion: NERSA must schedule public hearings within the Northern Cape, particularly in Kimberley, to ensure accessibility for residents.
Tariff Review: A transparent and fair review of electricity tariffs in Sol Plaatje Municipality to address the glaring disparities compared to wealthier municipalities in other provinces.
Equity in Public Engagement: Government entities must adopt inclusive frameworks that ensure all provinces, especially historically marginalised ones like the Northern Cape, are treated equitably.
Failure to address these issues will only confirm what many already suspect: that the Northern Cape is deliberately sidelined, its residents left to endure systemic neglect while their constitutional rights are ignored. This injustice cannot and will not be tolerated.