GQEBERHA. – The Gqeberha High Court has ordered Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to reinstate the Inclining Block Tariff for domestic electricity customers, overturning a Nelson Mandela Bay electricity tariff structure the Democratic Alliance argued was unlawfully adopted.
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What the court ordered
The order directs the Metro to incorporate into the electricity tariff applicable to domestic consumers for the 2026/2027 financial year the Inclining Block Tariff that applied to those consumers during 2025/2026.
According to the DA, the Municipality has 30 days to change the tariffs and must obtain NERSA’s agreement. Tariffs applied from 1 July 2026 will be revised and backdated on future bills, which the party says will result in credits on many residents’ accounts.
Why the Nelson Mandela Bay electricity tariff was challenged
DA Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal MPL said the party approached the court to interdict what it deemed unlawful electricity hikes flowing from fundamentally flawed public participation processes.
He said the decision to abolish the Inclining Block Tariff resulted in increases of up to 30% for many households, particularly those using less than 300 kWh a month.
“Today’s Gqeberha High Court order in the Democratic Alliance’s fight against the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s backbreaking electricity tariff hikes is a victory for the long-suffering residents of this Metro,” Odendaal told The Daily Pod.
“This court order demonstrates the vital role of a strong opposition. The DA exposed this abuse of power, challenged it and ultimately defeated it through the courts,” he said.
DA points to directorate losses
Odendaal said the governing coalition chose to recover additional revenue from paying customers instead of addressing financial and operational failures in its Electricity and Energy Directorate, which he said recorded losses of R1.5 billion in the last audited financial year.
“The DA will never stop fighting for residents who are being forced to carry the cost of electricity losses, poor financial management, inadequate maintenance and years of mismanagement by the ANC/EFF coalition,” he said.
He added that on 4 November residents could vote for a government that would provide affordable electricity, clean governance, accountability and service delivery.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality had not publicly responded to the Nelson Mandela Bay electricity tariff order at the time of publication.
* Press release.
