Communities mobilise in Johannesburg, demand energy justice and accountability in municipal management and planning - Green Building Africa

Protesters handed a memorandum demanding clean, affordable electricity, protection from rising tariffs and an end to poor service delivery.

South Africans are facing higher electricity prices due to a R54 billion error by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). The mistake, stemming from incorrect depreciation and regulatory asset base inputs, was identified in January 2025 but not corrected until September. As a result, Eskom is permitted to recover the lost funds through increased tariffs, leading to an 8.76% rise in 2026/27 and 8.83% in 2027/28. This regulatory oversight shifts the financial burden onto consumers, compounding the impact of ongoing load shedding, corporate influence, and municipal mismanagement.

At the heart of today's mobilisation was the demand for municipalities to restore the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to its original purpose: a participatory process that allows communities to shape local priorities and budgets to improve quality of life. The IDP should reflect local conditions, address pressing problems, make the best use of available resources, and plan for the area's economic and social development as a whole. Despite being legally mandated, IDPs often exclude meaningful public engagement.

Speakers at the action highlighted how energy injustice intersects with everyday struggles. "Communities are demanding clean, affordable power and real democracy, not more empty promises," said Cleopatra Shezi, an organiser with the Climate Justice Coalition. "Unreliable electricity, unaffordable food and housing, and poor healthcare are eroding dignity. The IDP must reflect people's needs, not corporate interests."

Tshepo Tshinyi, Interim South Africa Lead at 350Africa.org, emphasised the structural failures at play: "The Draw the Line mobilisation is about returning energy, jobs and democracy to the hands of communities. The IDP process must be transparent and inclusive. At present, it is neither, and communities are demanding their voices be heard."

Mr Bukula Skhosana, the Public Liaison for the Mayor of Johannesburg, received the memorandum on the Mayor's behalf in his absence. He promised the communities present at the march that the Mayor would respond to their concerns within fourteen working days. Skhosana added, he "understands" [the frustrations of communities].

The protest comes ahead of upcoming municipal IDP cycles in which energy planning is expected to be a central focus. Civic groups are urging municipalities to prioritise socially owned renewable energy projects within these processes, arguing that such initiatives could address both affordability and climate obligations while creating jobs. Failure to act, activists warn, will deepen inequality and leave communities vulnerable to further corruption, austerity, and climate shocks.

Today's mobilisation underscored a growing national frustration with the failures of local government. Communities insist that IDPs must function as living instruments of democracy, not rubber stamps for elite or corporate agendas. With the electricity crisis intensifying, public patience is running out, and pressure is mounting on municipalities to prove that planning frameworks can still deliver for the people they are meant to serve.

Source: 350.org