An alarming revelation concerning the South African free electricity initiative has come to light. Vally Padayachee, an energy expert and former executive manager of Eskom, has highlighted critical failures within the system.
Despite 10 million households qualifying for free basic electricity, only 2 million have access to it. This disparity signifies a significant shortcoming that needs urgent attention to ensure equitable energy distribution.
The free basic electricity framework, designed by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), aims to provide essential electricity access to millions. However, the qualification process is taking an unexpectedly long time.
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Padayachee explains that although National Treasury allocates funds through the equitable share grant, the distribution remains inefficient. The money reaches various metros and municipalities, but the allocation to qualifying households faces bottlenecks.
One significant issue is the municipal system’s inefficiency in distributing free basic electricity. While each municipality and metro receives funds to provide 50 kilowatt-hours of free electricity to qualifying households, this is not happening as intended.
Padayachee stresses that those eligible for these benefits are not receiving them due to systemic bottlenecks within the municipal framework. The situation highlights a dire need for an overhaul in how free basic electricity is managed and distributed in South Africa.
Government stakeholders must address these systemic issues to ensure that the 8 million people currently missing out can finally gain access to this essential service.
A collaborative effort between national and local governments is crucial to eliminating bottlenecks and improving the efficiency of electricity distribution.
