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Displaying the 30 latest comments.
Submitted | first-name | support | concern | top-concern | message |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026-10-26 12:25:22 +02:00 | Louwra | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | Unnecessary taxation. | |
2026-10-26 09:45:10 +02:00 | Lauren | I support with amendments | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | Households and small businesses that invested significant private capital into rooftop solar, batteries, and energy efficiency to protect themselves from load shedding will be forced to pay higher monthly baseline connection fees. This structural shift acts as a financial penalty on private decarbonisation, extending solar payback periods and increasing electricity bills for low-volume and frugal users. NERSA should place strict statutory caps on fixed network and capacity charges to prevent utilities from penalising private renewable investments. This could be implemented through a tiered tariff model that credits grid-tied rooftop solar owners for daytime energy injection, offsetting fixed network costs rather than imposing flat availability taxes. | |
2026-10-24 02:07:28 +02:00 | Yuro | I support with amendments | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | ||
2026-10-24 00:36:04 +02:00 | Liza | No I do not | All of the above | Market Power & Price Manipulation | |
2026-10-23 15:43:33 +02:00 | Ruth | No I do not | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | It's ludicrous for a government to impose a sun tax. We are taxed to death already. You buy solar because the country cannot supply all electrical needs now we have to pay a tax on it when you fix the mess Eskom and the minusters have made. |
2026-10-22 22:17:55 +02:00 | Gina | No I do not | All of the above | Market Power & Price Manipulation | Eskom's power generation and distribution infrastructure had been systematically damaged by incompetence and mal-administration, resulting in excessive costs to the consumer and a severe degrading in service. This has resulted in consumers having to provide costly alternatives, like solar panels to supplement their continuity of electric power. The new position paper tries to shield the culprits form the consequences of their historic mal-administration by further putting a burden on the business owner and consumer by a misguided effort to force consumers to pay for access rather than usage and is equivalent to force a consumer to pay upon entry to a supermarket - even before buying a single item in the store. |
2026-10-22 21:28:13 +02:00 | Lawrence | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | There was a call from goverment to install solar and the incentive was a rebate on tax. Now Eskom wants to penalise those that were able to install dolar and reduce Eskom demand during the years of load shedding. | |
2026-10-22 17:30:31 +02:00 | Shirley | No I do not | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | The SUN is free. To tax us citizens for investing in solar is DAY LIGHT ROBBERY. But the ANC steals everything. 30+ years of recking SA |
2026-10-22 16:21:07 +02:00 | Henry | No I do not | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | Eskom's power generation and distribution infrastructure had been systematically damaged by incompetence and mal-administration, resulting in excessive costs to the consumer and a severe degrading in service. This has resulted in consumers having to provide costly alternatives, like solar panels to supplement their continuity of electric power. The new position paper tries to shield the culprits form the consequences of their historic mal-administration by further putting a burden on the business owner and consumer by a misguided effort to force consumers to pay for access rather than usage and is equivalent to force a consumer to pay upon entry to a supermarket - even before buying a single item in the store. |
2026-10-22 14:54:06 +02:00 | Ben | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | ||
2026-10-22 11:38:40 +02:00 | Peter | I support with amendments | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | I am opposed to the fact that if someone puts a solar system at his home they need to pay reistration fee and other fees. Its like one is being firced to an electricity greed that is unreliable and very costly. Where do we get a break? | |
2026-10-22 10:38:47 +02:00 | Miles | I support with amendments | All of the above | Captive Consumer Tariff Protection | I support modernising South Africa's electricity sector and introducing greater competition, but I strongly object to penalising households that have invested substantial private capital in solar energy. Countries such as Germany already compensate residential solar users for feeding surplus electricity into the grid. South Africa should be expanding this approach, allowing households to sell their excess electricity at fair rates and offset municipal electricity charges. Cape Town already has such a system, demonstrating that this is entirely achievable locally. Government previously encouraged private solar investment through tax incentives to relieve pressure on the national electricity supply. Introducing higher unavoidable charges that undermine those investments is contradictory and sends precisely the wrong message to people who have used their own money to help address the electricity crisis. I accept that maintaining the electricity grid involves legitimate costs, but those charges must be transparent, independently justified and proportionate. They should not become a means of subsidising municipal inefficiency, poor financial management, electricity losses or outdated administrative structures. Municipalities should instead be required to modernise their operations, reduce unnecessary expenditure, address electricity theft and distribution losses, and become more efficient and accountable. I propose a national framework that allows residential solar owners to sell surplus electricity back into the grid, receive meaningful credits against their electricity bills, including fixed charges, and participate in a more competitive electricity market. **The solution should be to make better use of privately funded electricity generation while reforming inefficient municipal systems, not penalise households for investing in an asset that benefits the wider electricity network.** |
2026-10-21 22:32:50 +02:00 | Melanie | Yes I do | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | ||
2026-10-21 20:50:27 +02:00 | Deana | I support with amendments | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | |
2026-10-21 12:05:04 +02:00 | Christa | I support with amendments | All of the above | Captive Consumer Tariff Protection | |
2026-10-21 10:55:57 +02:00 | Karen | Yes I do | All of the above | Market Power & Price Manipulation | |
2026-10-21 10:07:37 +02:00 | Cornel | I support with amendments | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | We invested in solar power as a clean and affordable alternative to coal-generated electricity. Currently we are unable to shed additional solar energy back into the Eskom grid, which is what other 1st-world countries not only allow but also encourage. If we are going to be taxed for reducing our burden on the already overburdened electricity system, we will simply go off the grid completely, as I think thousands of other solar users will. This will further reduce the available buyers for Eskom. We should rather be supported fro making a contribution towards renewable and sutainable energy, and not be taxed to address government debt and funding of large SOE's which have been fincialiy ruiend by corruption and poor planning, lack of maintenenace and an overall fear of doing the right thing. | |
2026-10-21 08:06:45 +02:00 | Fiona | I support with amendments | All of the above | Market Power & Price Manipulation | |
2026-10-21 07:45:05 +02:00 | Nkosingiphile | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the paper | ||
2026-10-21 06:05:58 +02:00 | Johannes | No I do not | NTCSA Conflicts of Interest | ||
2026-10-21 00:10:23 +02:00 | Heleen Scheepers | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | ||
2026-10-20 20:04:02 +02:00 | Schalk | Yes I do | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | ||
2026-10-20 19:08:05 +02:00 | Walter | No I do not | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | |
2026-10-20 18:32:52 +02:00 | Siboniso | I support with amendments | All of the above | NTCSA Conflicts of Interest | Searched the web Here’s your objection with those points included. I’ve worded it as opposing the proposed hike and licence disc fee, because my search found neither has been approved. I also read your two foreigner points as (1) charging more to foreign motorists and (2) not paying RAF compensation to foreign nationals, legal or illegal. Tell me if you meant something else. NO, I OBJECT to the proposed R3.00/litre RAF levy increase and the proposed licence disc tax, and I DEMAND the reinstatement of fuel levy relief. South African motorists are already under severe pressure from record fuel prices. Charging us at the pump and again at the annual licence renewal counter is double taxation. I call on National Treasury to immediately reinstate the emergency General Fuel Levy relief that expired on 30 June 2026, to protect households and businesses from further price shocks. I also object to bailing out the Road Accident Fund’s administrative waste and multi-billion-rand legal fee leakages. Motorists should not pay more until the RAF fixes its own house and puts accident victims before lawyers. The licence disc tax, justified by electric vehicles, is a blanket penalty on all fuel users and should be rejected. If more money must be raised, it should not come from South African motorists alone. Foreign nationals and foreign-registered vehicles that use our roads should pay more. I also believe RAF compensation should not be paid out to foreign nationals, whether legal or illegal, while South African victims and taxpayers carry the cost. Finally, I call for retail petrol price deregulation into a maximum price cap, so pricing is more competitive and transparent. A few things to know before you submit: The R3.00 hike was pushed back. The RAF proposed it, but Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said that as long as she is in the job, she will not apply to the National Treasury to increase the RAF fuel levy. The licence disc fee is still being considered, and one report says no new RAF licence-renewal fee has been finalised. You may want to say “oppose any” rather than “oppose the” so the comment stays accurate. businesstech capetownetc Part of your foreigner point is already being considered. The RAF’s proposals include implementing the levy on all foreign-registered motor vehicles entering South Africa. You could mention that you support that part. businesstech Charging foreigners more is hard at the pump, because fuel is sold to everyone. It works better as a levy on foreign-registered vehicles, so your comment might say that instead of “charge foreigners more” generally. RAF payouts to foreign nationals. I couldn’t confirm how the RAF currently treats foreign claimants, so check that before asserting it. If you want, I can look it up. Your RAF waste point has support. The SIU found the RAF has been severely mismanaged for several years. topauto For balance, the RAF argues that its levy was frozen at R2.18 per litre from 2021/22 to 2025/26 and that fuel sales have fallen. Others note that EVs don’t pay fuel tax but can still claim from the RAF after accidents. Your comment is stronger if it answers these points, for example by demanding reform before any new charge. topauto briefly I can make it shorter for a comment box or more formal for an official submission. Screenshot_20261020_182618_com_android_chrome_CustomTabActivity.jpg Support with Amendments: Wholesale market reform should proceed only if strict caps are placed on fixed network fees, captive ratepayers are protected, and municipal cross-subsidies are safeguarded. And the government and relevant departments should ensure that the are Mandatory fixed solar charges, captive consumer price hikes, and municipal revenue losses will hurt ordinary households and small businesses. The screenshot has other points that all relevant parties should consider as part of amendment to ensure that no one is left behind especially households and smmes Searched the web Here’s a comment that covers your points and every issue listed in the screenshot: I SUPPORT the wholesale electricity market reform WITH AMENDMENTS. Reform should proceed only if strict caps are placed on fixed network and capacity charges, captive ratepayers are protected, and municipal cross-subsidies are safeguarded. A competitive market must not be built on the backs of ordinary households and small businesses. I ask the government and all relevant departments and regulators to address the following: 1. Fixed charges and solar penalties: Mandatory fixed charges must be capped and cost-reflective. They must not punish households and SMMEs that install solar or try to use less electricity. 2. Captive consumer tariff protection: Customers who cannot switch suppliers must be shielded from price hikes, and any transition costs must not be passed on to them. 3. Market power and price manipulation: Strong rules and active monitoring are needed so that large players cannot manipulate prices in the new market. 4. Municipal financial collapse: Many municipalities depend on electricity revenue. Reform must not strip that income and leave communities with failing services, and existing cross-subsidies that support poorer households must be protected. 5. NTCSA conflicts of interest: The market operator and transmission company must be independent, with clear safeguards against conflicts of interest. 6. Grid congestion and transmission delays: Delays in expanding the grid must be resolved, so the market is not undermined and consumers do not pay for constraints they did not cause. Mandatory fixed solar charges, captive consumer price hikes and municipal revenue losses will hurt ordinary households and small businesses. All parties should treat these as essential amendments so no one is left behind, especially households and SMMEs. |
2026-10-20 18:14:06 +02:00 | Carola | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | Reward solar users It is important that individual can be proactive, find solutions and implement solutions especially in a time where the basic needs of the people of South Africa are ignored. Security, Quality Water Supply, Electricity, Roads surfaces, etc. are just a few of the most basic needs of almost every South African. These need to be secured and people who try to survive in spite of the lack of services offered should be rewarded not penalised. | |
2026-10-20 16:16:59 +02:00 | Sean | Yes I do | Other | ||
2026-10-20 11:22:31 +02:00 | narren | No I do not | All of the above | Municipal Financial Collapse | The goverment must breaking fuctional system, goverment works are there as care takers, not to break a system that worked. Not to mention the looting that being going on for the last 30 years. |
2026-10-20 09:42:46 +02:00 | Michele | I support with amendments | All of the above | Captive Consumer Tariff Protection | |
2026-10-20 09:29:37 +02:00 | Trevor | No I do not | All of the above | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties | |
2026-10-20 09:21:57 +02:00 | Derryn | No I do not | Fixed Charges & Solar Penalties |
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- Ending Monopolies and Unlocking Private Investment:
Decades of Eskom’s single-buyer monopoly led to catastrophic load shedding, debt bailouts, and stifled innovation. Establishing the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) allows private generators, renewable energy developers, and traders to compete directly, deploying private capital to build generation capacity without burdening national taxpayers. - Transparent Price Discovery and Long-Term Cost Reductions:
Open day-ahead and intra-day wholesale trading forces generators to bid at competitive, marginal costs. Over time, this market mechanism removes operational inefficiencies, penalises unreliable power stations, and drives down the baseline wholesale cost of electricity for the entire economy. - Fair System Cost Allocation (“Anti-Free Riding”):
The physical grid requires billions of Rands in fixed maintenance costs regardless of how much energy is consumed. Supporters argue that grid-tied rooftop solar owners still rely on the national grid for nighttime power and system stability. Shifting toward mandatory fixed capacity charges ensures that network costs are fairly shared across all connected users, rather than being disproportionately subsidised by poorer households without solar systems. - Level Playing Field via Network Unbundling:
Legally unbundling the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) and forcing distribution companies to separate physical “wires” from electricity trading ensures non-discriminatory grid access for everyone. Independent power producers will finally compete on equal terms with Eskom Generation. - Professionalising Municipal Electricity Accounts:
Forcing municipalities to separate their retail trading businesses from network maintenance creates transparent accounting, prevents councils from diverting grid maintenance funds to cover unrelated administrative shortfalls, and establishes cost-reflective pricing models.
- Ending Monopolies and Unlocking Private Investment:
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- A “Sun Tax” on Private Capital and Rooftop Solar:
Millions of households and businesses invested private savings into rooftop solar and batteries to keep their lights on when the state failed to do so. Replacing consumption-based billing with mandatory, high fixed monthly network charges penalises energy-conscious citizens, extends solar payback periods, and discourages private decarbonisation. - The “Captive Ratepayer Trap” and Municipal Insolvency:
Large industrial and commercial users exceeding demand thresholds (e.g., 1 MW) will be allowed to exit municipal supply to buy cheaper wholesale or private power. This strips municipalities of high-margin corporate revenue used to cross-subsidise indigent households and basic services, leaving captive residential ratepayers to shoulder skyrocketing local tariffs and degraded grid maintenance. - Wholesale Price Volatility and Market Power Manipulation:
Eskom Generation still controls the overwhelming majority of South Africa’s dispatchable baseload power. In unbundled spot markets worldwide, dominant suppliers have engaged in economic or physical withholding to artificially spike market clearing prices. Without hard statutory bid caps and aggressive oversight, wholesale price volatility will be passed directly down to retail consumers. - Severe Conflicts of Interest Within the NTCSA:
Consolidating transmission grid ownership (TNSP), system dispatch (SO), market clearing (MO), and legacy state off-take contracts (CPA) within a single entity under Eskom Holdings creates structural conflicts of interest. NTCSA could face internal commercial pressure to favour Eskom assets or delay third-party grid connections. - Premature Market Launch Amid Unresolved Municipal Debt:
Opening an advanced wholesale market with mandatory imbalance penalties in 2026/2027 while municipal distribution debt to Eskom remains unresolved is premature. Financially distressed municipalities that fail prudential credit requirements will be excluded from trading platforms, creating a divided nation of well-supplied metros and failing, power-starved rural councils.
- A “Sun Tax” on Private Capital and Rooftop Solar: