The movement is threatening a national shutdown if its demands are not met and also stated that they are not going to pay for electricity.
A list of demands was published by the Gauteng Movement which includes:
- A flat rate for electricity for all residents of Gauteng
- Scrapping of all prepaid maters
- Re-connection all houses with no electricity
- An end of load shedding
- Scrapping of all Apartheid debts
- Electrification for all informal settlements
- Publicly owned renewable energy production
A spokesman from the Gauteng electricity movement said debts of the Apartheid regime was inherited which is the cause of them struggling so much.
“That is why today they want s to pay for electricity. Electricity is a basic right. Everyone, starting from Gauteng, the other provinces- we are not going to pay,” he said.
The movement stated that this problem affects the whole of South Africa and not just Soweto. On Tuesday the 25th of February 2020 they had their first March and the plan was to bring several areas in Gauteng to a stop/Standstill. This, however, did not happen. Trevor Ngwane from the movement said this is only the first of many rounds in the fight. He said they are ready to action more protects in future now that they know “muscle of the enemy”
He has said before they are not able to keep up due to the high tariffs and that is why they are not paying for electricity.
“The difference between us and the rest of the country is that we are fighting (the issue), we are defending our grannies and defending the vulnerable,” he said.
When asked why Soweto does not pay and the rest of the country does, Ngwane replied that Soweto residents have “fighting spirit”.
In a few words, Gauteng electricity movement threatens National Shutdown over electricity.