Koffie met die Munisipale Bestuurder

Deur Adv Hanlie Linde, Professionele Munisipale Bestuurder sedert 2012

Soos ek hier sit en skryf is dit al 99 dae sonder enige beurtkrag in Suid-Afrika.  ’n Rare verskynsel sedert 2007.  Ek is amper te bang om slapende honde wakker te maak...

Maar ’n baie belangrike en interessante hofsaak is in Junie 2024 in die Noord Gautengse Hoë Hof in Pretoria aangehoor wat ’n groot effek op elektrisiteitsverbruik in SA het.  Dit raak elke Munisipaliteit intens.  Ook die een waarvoor ek die Munisipale Bestuurder is.

Dit het so gebeur...

Op 5 Junie 2024 het AfriForum ’n dringende aansoek gebring om die prosedures wat NERSA (die nasionale energie reguleerder in SA) gebruik het om die munisipale elektrisiteits-tariewe goed te keur (vir die 1 Julie 2024 – 30 Junie 2025 finansiële jaar) as onwettig en ongeldig te laat verklaar.

NERSA en SALGA (South African Local Government Association) het die aansoek teengestaan.  Op 28 Junie 2024 het die Hoë Hof uitspraak gelewer en soos volg bevind:

1. “NERSA’s mechanism for approval of municipal electricity tariffs as set out in its Notice to Municipal Licensed Electricity Distributors dated 29 January 2024 is declared unlawful, invalid and of no force and effect.

   
   

2. No municipality shall be entitled to levy increased electricity tariffs upon end-user consumers until such time as NERSA has granted an approval of an application in accordance with NERSA’s Notice to Municipal Licensed Electricity Distributors dated 17 November 2023.

   
   

3. Any Municipality for whom NERSA has not granted approval of an application for increased tariffs supported by a cost of supply study in accordance with the Notice to Municipal Licensed Electricity Distributors dated 17 November 2023 shall be entitled to continue levying electricity tariffs on the same tariff as that applicable during the 2023/2024 municipal financial year.

   
   

4. Municipalities shall be permitted to supplement their applications for increased electricity tariffs to NERSA with cost of supply studies for NERSA’s consideration and were granted 60 days from the date of the order to supplement their electricity tariff applications with cost of supply studies in accordance with the NERSA’s Notice of 17 November 2023.”

Beide SALGA en NERSA het appél aangeteken teen hierdie uitspraak.

Tydens die hofsaak het SALGA en NERSA bewys gelewer van ongeveer 66 Munisipaliteite (gelukkig en dankbaar dat dit myne ook insluit) en ander entiteite wat wel “Cost of Supply Studies” ingehandig het saam met hul tariefaansoeke aan NERSA en wat wel deur NERSA goedgekeur is.  Die hofuitspraak affekteer nie die tariefverhogings in hierdie Munisipaliteite nie.  Indien die lesers van die Compassionate Confronter die lys wil besigtig, kan hulle die volgende skakel volg.

Here are the 66 municipalities which can increase electricity prices in July.

Hierdie lys is nie uitgeput nie (en daar is dupliserings). Elke Munisipaliteit vir wie NERSA ’n tariefverhoging goedgekeur het gebaseer op ’n “Cost of Supply Study”, mag tariefverhogings implementeer.

Volgende keer as u ’n lig aanskakel in u huis, dink aan die kompleksiteite wat met die opwek en verspreiding van elektrisiteit verband hou.  Werklik interessante tye...

Tot ons weer gesels

Hanlie

---

Editor’s note

With this column we expose our readers to a seasoned professional municipal manager. Hanlie Linde is the Municipal Manager of the Bergrivier Municipality in the Western Cape Province. She holds, amongst others, the degrees BA Law, Honours in Political Science, LLB and MBL (the first two from Stellenbosch University and the rest from Unisa and Unisa Business School respectively) and is an accredited Professional Municipal Manager at the Institute for Local Government Management (ILGM). An English abstract of her article is available below

Translated abstract of article.

(Compiled by Chris Botha)

Document type	Abstract of an article originally published in the Afrikaans language in The Compassionate Confronter, July 2024 (https://confronterjournal.wixsite.com/confronter)
Title	Coffee with the Municipal Manager
Author of the article	The author is Advocate Hanlie Linde LLB (Unisa), MBL (Unisa Business School), Professional Municipal Manager (ILGM). Hanlie is the Municipal Manager (MM) of the Bergrivier Municipality in the Western Cape Province.
Content	The author discusses an important ruling by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria during June 2024. The civil rights group AfriForum brought an urgent application against the procedure followed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to approve municipal electricity tariffs for the 2024-2025 year. The goal of the application was to declare the procedure unlawful and invalid. The application was opposed by NERSA as well as the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). The Court found as reported verbatim in English in the text of the article. NERSA and SALGA appealed the ruling. NERSA and SALGA pointed out during the case that approximately 66 Municipalities (inclusive of the author’s), who have indeed handed in Cost of Supply Studies, had their tariff increases approved by NERSA. The ruling therefor does not affect these Municipalities. (Please see the link to the list of Municipalities in the text). The list is not exhaustive and duplications occur. The point is that each Municipality who had their requested tariff increases approved by NERSA, had requested such based upon a Cost of Supply Study – and these Municipalities may implement such tariff increases.   The author requests readers to think about the complexities related to the generation and distribution of electricity, and is of the opinion that our times are really interesting ...