#WeWillDoItOurselves

Local government

Local government affairs refer to the local level of government – that level of government which is in closest proximity to people, consisting of 257 municipalities countrywide. The country is divided into nine provinces which are in turn divided in eight metros, 205 local municipalities and 44 district municipalities. These 257 municipalities are therefore all contained under the collective term “local government”.

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Local government refers to municipal structures in South Africa that are responsible for basic service delivery such as water, electricity, sanitation and infrastructure. AfriForum emphasises, however, that many of these institutions do not function effectively, leading to poor service delivery and the decline of communities. AfriForum believes that local communities should play a more active role by tackling projects themselves, applying pressure on authorities, and striving for greater independence. In this context, local government is therefore not only seen as a formal level of government, but also as a space where citizens themselves take responsibility for improving their environment.

Local government Solar panels Eskom/NERSA

Your solar panels vs Eskom

Eskom’s years of mismanagement, corruption and serious lack of accountability ultimately led to a complete collapse of South Africa’s power grid.

Loadshedding has been part of South Africans’ daily lives for years. Unfortunately, this loadshedding has hampered the operations of various businesses, farms and industries and put serious pressure on everyone.

True to the nature of South Africans, we did not sit back and relax but sought alternatives to reliable power supply such as batteries, generators, but in most cases – solar panels.

What does Eskom say about this now?

Eskom has launched a campaign in early 2024 urging all its customers to register their solar panels.
Customers must have their system approved by a professional engineer (a requirement that can cost you more than R20 000).
However, after sustained pressure from AfriForum, Eskom changed this requirement so that an accredited electrician can sign off on the system.
Eskom insists that registrations are mandatory.

What AfriForum says:

Eskom does not have the necessary policies in place to enforce registrations.
Although legislation allows Eskom to require registrations, Eskom must first have proper policies in place.
Until Eskom has the necessary policies in place, they may not force consumers to register.
There is no legal basis for Eskom to issue fines.
Persons who do not get their power directly from Eskom should not register with Eskom at all.

What is AfriForum doing now?

AfriForum maintains that Eskom does not have proper policies in place to force users to register.
AfriForum previously wrote to Eskom to ask what policies they have to make registration mandatory. Eskom was unable to provide this information.
AfriForum will continue to put pressure on Eskom and Nersa to ensure that they do not abuse their power to force people to do something for which they do not have proper policies in place.

Do I have to register my solar panels with Eskom?

There is no obligation on you to comply with Eskom’s latest registration requirements. Each municipality must have their own bylaw in place on rules regarding the registration of solar panels. So be on the lookout for that.

You do not have to register your system with Eskom or the municipality. Eskom does require you to submit a signed declaration confirming that you are not connected to the Eskom system.

You are obliged to register with Nersa, even if you do not supply any electricity to the grid.

Eskom’s latest communication states that these consumers must register. However, AfriForum believes that Eskom must first be able to substantiate the regulations or policies on which they rely before they can place consumers under such an obligation.

AfriForum believes that Eskom must first substantiate the regulations or policies on which they rely before they place consumers under such an obligation.