Tembisa Erupts in Protest Over 'Crippling' 24.4% Combined Electricity Hike

The Breaking Point

Tensions in Tembisa have reached a boiling point as residents barricaded streets and clashed with police in response to a crippling 24.4% compounded electricity price hike—one of the highest in South Africa. The protests erupted after months of failed negotiations with the Ekurhuleni Metro, which imposed a 13.4% municipal surcharge on top of Eskom’s 11% national increase, pushing already-strained households to the brink.

Bullets Before Dialogue

"Why must they come shooting first?" demanded community leader Thabo Mokoena, displaying injuries from rubber bullets. Protesters allege that police responded with disproportionate force to what began as peaceful demonstrations against worsening service delivery. Viral social media posts reveal the depth of frustration—78% of households now spend over 15% of their income on electricity alone, leaving little for other essentials.

Service Delivery Paradox

Despite paying premium rates, Tembisa residents face:

• 4-6 hour daily blackouts, disrupting work and safety
• Dangerous, unmaintained infrastructure, including deadly electrocutions
• An estimated 42% illegal connections due to sheer unaffordability

Community task teams report 17 unanswered petitions to municipal offices since January, highlighting systemic neglect.

National Implications

As the second hardest-hit municipality in South Africa, Tembisa’s unrest signals a nationwide crisis. Energy analysts warn that compounded municipal-Eskom hikes are creating unsustainable burdens, with 14 other municipalities now at risk of similar protests. The ANC’s Ekurhuleni caucus has called an emergency meeting amid fears of protest contagion, underscoring the volatile intersection of economic strain and failing governance.