Sarah Baartman District municipality (Blue Crane Route, Dr Beyers Naudé, Kouga, Koukamma, Makana, Ndlambe, Sundays River Valley) calls for public comment on proposed tariff increases, the draft budget and IDP
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- Proposed increases are available in the summary below
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THE INCREASES ARE AS FOLLOWS
Staff salaries 4.75%
The Sarah Baartman District is proving to be the home of some of the most extreme “cost-reflective” tariff proposals in the Eastern Cape. While some municipalities are showing discipline, others—specifically Blue Crane Route—are proposing hikes that dwarf the national averages.
| Property Rates | Water 💧 | Refuse/San 🗑️ | Electricity (Dom) ⚡ | |
| Blue Crane Route (Somerset East) | 10.0% 🚩 | 6.0% | 6.0% | 25.0% 🚨 |
| Koukamma (Kareedouw/Joubertina) | ~4.5% | ~4.5% | ~4.5% | 15.5% – 24.5% |
| Dr Beyers Naudé (Graaff-Reinet) | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 14.0% |
| Kouga (J-Bay/St Francis) | 4.5% | 6.5% | 5.0% | 9.01% |
| Makana (Makhanda) | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 10.92% |
| Ndlambe (Port Alfred) | ~4.5% | ~4.5% | ~4.5% | 7.0% |
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- The Blue Crane Route 25% Shock: This is a massive “Red Flag.” Blue Crane Route is proposing a 25% electricity hike for domestic customers—nearly 6x the staff salary benchmark (4.75%). This is one of the highest in the country.
- Koukamma’s Inclining Block Tariff: Koukamma is hitting higher-volume users hard, with increases of up to 24.5% for blocks 2, 3, and 4. This effectively penalizes larger households or small businesses operating from home.
- The “Cost-Reflective” Justification: Both Dr Beyers Naudé and Blue Crane Route cite extensive Cost of Supply (CoS) studies to justify these jumps. You can help your subscribers ask: “Is this the cost of supply, or the cost of municipal aging infrastructure debt?”
- Kouga’s Water Pressure: At 6.5%, Kouga’s water increase is higher than its neighbors. Given the region’s historical drought issues, residents are being asked to pay a premium for water security.
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