GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality is facing renewed calls to increase its free basic electricity support for indigent households, with MPL Brendon Adams urging it to expand its allocation to 100 units per month for qualifying residents.
"Stellenbosch is smaller than George, and they already provide up to 100kWh to qualifying households," said Adams, a former George councillor for the Patriotic Alliance (PA), who is now serving his party in parliament.
In a formal request to the municipality, Adams said the rising costs of living - including electricity, food, transport and fuel - are placing severe pressure on low-income households. He argued that electricity is a basic necessity linked to dignity, safety, education and health, and warned that insufficient support increases the risk of illegal connections, arrears and disconnections.
Adams called on George to follow the lead of other municipalities in the Western Cape and consider similar pro-poor measures. He urged the municipality to review its current policy on free basic electricity, assess affordability impacts, and consult the public on increasing the allocation.
Expanded support
Responding to the request, Mayor Browen Johnson confirmed that the municipality is already moving to expand support within the constraints of its financial framework.
"As part of the draft budget process, I indicated that the municipality is proposing an increase in free basic electricity for qualifying households from 70kWh to 80kWh per month," he said.
He said George already exceeds the national standard of 50kWh per month and must ensure that any further increases remain financially sustainable.
While acknowledging the comparison with Stellenbosch, Johnson said each municipality operates under different financial conditions and must balance relief measures with broader service delivery and infrastructure responsibilities.
He said the proposed increase was informed by resident engagement during a public meeting in Convent Gardens (part of Ward 17), where concerns about rising electricity costs were raised. "That remains central to my approach - to listen to residents, act responsibly, and deliver where it is practical and sustainable," the mayor said.
Public participation on the draft budget concluded on 6 May.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
