MUSINA – The mayor of Musina, Alderman David Phologa rejected in a media release allegations that Musina Municipality has the highest electricity tariffs in the country and is charging extortionate electricity prices that are four times higher than those of the national electricity supplier, Eskom.

A news report, which quotes a survey by a US-based energy and telecommunications consulting firm, expressed shock over inflated power prices in small towns and in rural areas and stated that Musina charges its customers R0.71kwh while areas directly serviced by Eskom were charged R0.17 for the same amount of power.

Mayor Phologa rejected the report stating that Musina is not charging R0.71/kwh as reported.

“In 2003/4 we were charging R0.35. In 2004/5 we affected a 3.6% increase and we are now charging R0,3623 for residential use.”

He questioned the correctness of a survey done by the US-based consulting group, and said: “While they are free to do business in South Africa, we wonder why they produce their survey without checking their facts. We were not consulted.”

He said while municipalities welcome objective reporting, such reports should be preceded by intensive investigation and verification of facts.

“In this case, none has been done,” said Phologa. He said Musina has been portrayed in a very bad light.

Phologa called on those who conduct surveys in municipalities to double check with the municipality concerned, “before they feed communities with wrong information, thereby painting the Mayor and Councillors in a bad way, especially now as we are going to Local Government Elections.”

When the Musina Municipality was contacted this week about its electricity tariffs, the communications officer confirmed the residential electricity tariff and added that the tariff for business was R0.3579 and for industry R0.6054.