Numerous unemployed individuals in South Africa, many of whom rely onA Grant for Social Relief of Distress Government Grantcosting R370 (approximately US$21) each month, individuals are unable to cover electricity costs while also managing food and housing expenses. In the working-class neighborhood of Thembisa, located in Gauteng, South Africa's industrial center, the local government attempted to impose a fixed monthly charge of R126 (US$7) for electricity. However, residents found this unaffordable, leading them to block roads and shut down the area in late July. Within a day, the mayor canceled the electricity fee. Luke Sinwell,a researcher in the field of popular history and community organizingIn South Africa, it is explained that protests could be the sole means for the working class to have their opinions acknowledged.
Is power accessible in South Africa?
No. Electricity costs have risen sharply during the past twenty-five years, roughlyfour times the inflation rate. It is equally important to consider electricity prices within a socio-economic framework. For instance, the expense of electricity should be evaluated in relation to the household's available income.
Families with low incomes may allocate as much as twenty percent of their total household earningson energy, making power extremely costly.
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About halfNearly 15 million people across South African households lack sufficient food. This situation forces the heads of poor or working-class households (primarily women of color) to make difficult choices between providing nutritious meals and paying for electricity to light their homes. They must decide between using energy for heating during the cold season or keeping their limited fresh food refrigerated to prevent it from going bad.
I am a member of a team of researchers who employ the termenergy racismto illustrate the structural discrimination that hinders Black working-class individuals from obtaining the power necessary for their survival and success.
South Africans have been demonstrating for many years concerning expensive electricity costs. Why has the issue not been resolved?
There are flaws in South Africa's democratic system. Local government bodies often respond inadequately to the issues and requests raised by communities.shortsighted and inadequate.
At present, the main political parties in South Africa primarily concentrate on securing agreement at the polls via elections held every five years. The South African president,Cyril Ramaphosa, is overseeing a “National Dialogue”which he asserts will enable the voices of common individuals to be recognized within the halls of authority.
It has been structured to seem like an open and democratic procedure. Nevertheless, according to my prior studies, I think that underneath the surface, the government has largely already determined the agenda and a collection of policies that the discussion will propose.
Read more: Protesters in South Africa reflect a worldwide concern: democracy is not improving people's lives
The government of South Africa iscontinuing to rely onmarket-driven, neoclassical policies that prioritize profit over the interests of the working population. This ensures that electricity costs stay remarkably high. It also implies that the government will show little inclination to actively address those communities regarding the price of electricity.
It is helpful to recall what took place inSeptember 2011 in ThembisaApproximately 2,000 locals took to the streets to demonstrate against power outages. Educational institutions were shut down, with at least 100 individuals detained by authorities for engaging in public disturbances, and law enforcement used rubber bullets against the demonstrators.
When the people of Thembisa once again closed off their neighborhood recently, the Mayor, clearly familiar with this past, aimed to prevent a similar occurrence. This provided the residents with an advantage—they knew that demonstrations would prompt the authorities to react in a positive manner.
This implies that if local authorities fail to proactively address critical issues such as electricity costs with the community, neighborhoods will naturally establish their own groups to organize and impact local governance and wider political processes.
What is the impact of demonstrations on the rising costs of essential services?
Demonstrations frequently arise as a direct reaction from communities in dire situations dealing with a severe financial downturn. The recent demonstration in Thembisa is also part of a larger pattern of protests and group actions concerning the absence of power in townships and informal areas across different regions of Gauteng.
For example, my researchmore than six years in theinformal settlement of ThembelihleIn the southwest of Johannesburg, it was discovered that individuals perished in their shacks due to the local government's inability to supply electricity. The residents had no other choice but to use imbawula, a self-made brazier. This involved burning coal and wood inside an oven or tin with a homemade pipe to vent the smoke. As a result, many shacks caught fire.
Read more: How democracy functions at the local level: 3 insights from a South African activist group
They engaged with officials for over a decade. Nevertheless,Thembelihle residentshad no reliable method to influence the decision-makers who could provide electricity to their homes. Therefore, they sought power independently, compelling officials to engage in discussions through demonstrations.
After a three-week occupation in 2015,the government concededto meet the fundamental requirements to officially power a relatively small area where they resided. A significant sum of R323 million could provide electricity to 7,000 households.
The governance of a community movement that had previously been illegal and barred from positions of authority was now embedded in official policy.
What insights do the latest Thembisa electricity price demonstrations provide?
It shows that the best method for individuals to encourage the government to make decisions that benefit the poor is not through voting or participating in national dialogues organized by presidents and lawmakers. Instead, it involves forming groups within communities and taking part in large-scale actions that compel those in authority to meet the people's demands.
The latest demonstration also shows that people from low-income and working-class backgrounds should not be made to pay more than they can handle for essential services. The city council heldIntegrated Development Planand financial discussions with locals a few months prior to the demonstrations, during which the updated electricity rates were disclosed. However, these sessions appeared to overlook the fact that residents of Thembisa could not afford the costs.
The mayor's choice to put the new electricity fees on hold in Thembisa shows that when essential services break down within neighborhoods,protests work. They could also be the sole dependable way through which common individuals can reach the mechanisms of governmental policy.
This piece is reprinted fromThe Conversationa non-profit, independent news organization providing you with facts and reliable analysis to help you understand our complicated world. It was written by:Luke Sinwell, University of Johannesburg
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Luke Sinwell is employed by the University of Johannesburg.