Durban Residents In for Steep Electricity Bills After Municipality Proposes 21.91% Tariff Hike From July

• The eThekwini Municipality has proposed a 21.91% electricity increase for businesses and households
• The increase exceeds Eskom's 18. 49% hike and the City of Cape Town's proposed increase of 17.6%
• The DA in eThekwini has slammed the steep increase and vowed to protect residents by fighting it

DURBAN - Residents in the eThekwini Municipality may be confronted with soaring electricity bills in July as the metro has proposed a 21.91% price increase.

The municipality is still waiting on the green light from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) before the hike can come into effect.

Durban Municipality's proposed tariff hike exceeds Eskom's 18.49% increase

The eThekwini Municipality's proposed hike exceeds the 18.49% municipal increase from Eskom and far exceeds that of the City of Cape Town, TimesLIVE reported.

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Cape Town said it only intends to increase the tariff by 17.6%.

eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said that the turbulent economic landscape makes above-inflation increases inevitable.

Kaunda said:

"The three biggest contributors to the increases are out of our hands, that is, the Eskom increase, Umgeni Water Board increase and salary increases."

DA vows to fight the 21.91% electricity tariff hike in Durban

The Democratic Alliance in Durban is not taking the proposed increase lying down.

DA eThekwini caucus leader Thabani Mthethwa said that given the allegations of maladministration of funds and unstable electricity supply, residents can't be expected to pay more for power.

Mthethwa says the party will fight the increase, SowetanLIVE reported.

eThekwini Municipality debunks viral images of giant washed-up shark on Durban shores as fake news

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In another story, Briefly News reported that pictures of a great white shark that allegedly washed up on a Durban beach near uShaka Sea World had caused a flair of excitement online.

However, the eThekwini Municipality said on Tuesday, 28 March, that the pics are bogus and misleading, EastCoastRadio reported.

The municipality announced on its Facebook page that no beach-goers reported animal-related sightings at Durban beaches. The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) also confirmed that the photographs are a hoax, claiming they came from North Carolina, USA.

Source: Briefly News