If this is not price fixing, what is?

As I was telling the guys, refuse to pay the 1st increase, they laughed at me saying, don't worry, the price will drop soon as the economical position gers better. Then came the 2nd increase, then came the petitions etc, etc, etc. Now they're demanding a further 45% increase. REFUSE to pay, Escom must first explain to the public as to why the CEO received such a hugh increase in bonuses even whilst they were demanding an increase. My advice to the public, invest in solar power now and then tell Escom to jump. They'll probably ask, 'how high'. It's like the dog that bites the hand that feeds it. Question, why isn't Julius Malema and his bunch of croonies not dancing like cut throats as they were doing recently against Nedbank?????

It makes no difference how much of the increase is going towards performance bonuses. Firstly, the executive has not received bonuses at all this year, and last year took home a very small portion of their annual bonuses. If you are aiming at retaining skill within a company like Eskom, you have to pay market related salaries, otherwise your skill are just going to move elsewhere and command a salary that is triple what they earn at Eskom. Secondly, the problem with the Eskom debt and the reason as to why the debt exists in addition to the lack of capacity is wholly attributable to governments obsession with privatisation and the neoliberal policies which are followed by the current and previous administrations. Thirdly, the executive at Eskom have worked harder in the past year than they ever have, and deserve some kind of market related compensation. It is the unfortunate truth that aside from the minority of academics and government hospital doctors, people want to earn what they are worth, and if Eskom does not pay their exec accordingly, they have no hope of keeping anyone worth keeping working for them. Anyone opposed to the price increase is not a practical person. Eskom held off on increases since 1994 so that a developing country could develop, and now that they are in debt, and have no money, they should be entitled to increase. They currently provide the cheapest electricity in the world, and South Africans are just a bunch of unappreciative and spoiled babies!

45% per year for 3 years....if you pay R1000 now it will be R1450 then R2102,50 then on year 3 it would be R3048,63 Now that is a way to give better bonuses and increases. Any bets after 3 years they will be bankrupt again and demand another 50% ???? Now they ask why skilled people leave the country

This is sickening. Why do we pay taxes in the first place! Everybody should say enough is enough and make a stand against Eskom and the likes of them. There are so many things we can do, if we just made the effort. And what about the millions of citizens who get electricity for free?

The thing that worries me the most, is the effect this price increases will have on pensioners. My parents and grandparents are struggling to get by as it is now. They will not have any money left for food and basic necessities if this price hikes continue as planned.

Macro Economics for dummies or should I say government: SA currently imports more than it exports...True? The Rand has got stronger effecting exports....True? Foreign countries are purchasing from the likes of India and China because they are more competitive....True? By increasing the electricity tariff by 45% per year is not 135% it is way more. These costs need to be passed off to the consumer of paid for in the prices we offer on our products and services to the world which pushes SA further out of the ballpark. These costs will have to be absorbed by increasing prices on EVERYTHING, inflation will be rampant and you guess it....Interest rates will go up to curb OUR spending not that of eskom. In conclusion, yes the country needs power stations due to a growing (albeit at a slower rate) economy and due to population increase however surely there was a plan a few years ago and maybe they should start looking in house for savings and collect on all those bad debts, I think they would be surprised as to how much money could be collected this way.

Simply put, we are soooo scr@wed now. Everything is going to go up. Manufacturing will want to cover these costs, supermarkets will put the prices up, considering they already over charging us in the region of 30%. We knew electricy was a looming disaster, and already there are hints abt water. And the headlines of the air quality. Simple. We are soooooo scr@wed now. Considering how many are already not paying

Of Course Eishkom wants 3 increases of 45% each. At that rate , 1KwH will cost R1.54 . If they had a single increase of 151% , 1KwH would cost R1.26 all excluding tax of course. This doesnt take into account Service charge, 3 increases = R7.45/DAY, Network charge , 3 increases = R4.72/DAY, plus Environmental levy(whatever that may be), 3 increases = R0.06/KwH. Our magnificent brains trust ie. Govt, Eishkom , etc will eventually kill the golden goose that is becomming increasingly more constipated. All because of the communist mantra of Cronieism, Nepotisim, rewarding incapable party faithfull with positions far beyond their capabilities!

TC you are spot on. unfortunately those that can afford or nearly afford to pay are being punished. Can you imagine forcing Sakhile or other poor areas being forced to pay more {or at all} there would be violent protest and this the government would not be happy with. Also if we as responsible citizens had to use less electricity not enough money would come in so we will be charged even more. CATCH 22!!!!