MAFUTSENI Member of Parliament Sabelo Mtetwa has sought clarity on whether electricity tariffs will be increased next Wednesday and by what percentage.
Mtetwa raised the issue during a sitting of the House of Assembly yesterday, stating that there were reports that electricity tariffs would increase by 13.61% effective from April 1, but no official communication had been issued thereafter.
He said the prime minister had indicated that a statement would be made to address the issue following widespread reports, adding that he was concerned as April 1 was approaching and there was still uncertainty.
“I have not seen where we will source the E200 million as it is not in the budget, nor how it will be allocated to the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), while the nation remains unaware of the extent of the proposed increase,” he said.
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He said they needed clarity on whether electricity tariffs would indeed be increased, noting that there were conflicting reports of both a tariff hike and a possible E200 million subvention.
Meanwhile, Speaker Jabulani Mabuza said if the clarification sought required a response from Cabinet, it should be raised as a motion or a formal question not as a point of clarification.
Mtetwa argued that he had raised it as a point of clarification due to the urgency of the matter, as April 1 was imminent and motions could take time to appear on the Order Paper.
However, Mabuza maintained that Standing Orders could not be bypassed due to procedural timelines and advised the MP to follow the correct process.
