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Johannesburg’s Annual Tariff Hikes Come into Effect, Placing Residents Under Financial Str

Today, residents of the City of Johannesburg wake up to the reality of above-inflation tariff increases coming into effect on 1 July 2026. This applies to costs regarding water, sanitation, electricity, refuse removal, and rates which were approved by Council for the 2026/27 period.

ActionSA strongly condemns this decision as this will exacerbate the financial burden on residents who are already under financial strain. Implementing these increases amid the rising cost of living demonstrates the disdain of the ANC government towards citizens.

The Council-approved tariff increases that are coming into effect today are:

  • 12.5% increase on water
  • 11% increase on sanitation
  • 6.2% increase on refuse removal
  • 3.6% increase on property rates.

In terms of the fixed prepaid electricity charge, this has increased to approximately R241.50 per month. This flat monthly charge is anti-working class as residents are required to pay it regardless of how much electricity they use, placing an added burden on vulnerable households.

These increases come at a time when residents continue to suffer as forgotten and neglected people who reside in neighbourhoods that are in a clear state of decline over the years. This is marked by unreliable service delivery, deteriorating infrastructure, frequent water outages, electricity interruptions, and poor waste collection.

What is concerning is that these increases will not result in improved service delivery on basic services for all residents. Whether in the suburbs or townships, residents will continue to experience dry taps for several days. Residents will continue to be inconvenienced by potholes and traffic lights that are not repaired timeously. Compliant residents will continue to experience water and electricity interruptions.

Currently, the city faces a R71 billion debt crisis emanating from weak revenue collection due from residents, businesses, and government departments. How will the City guarantee that the billing funds are allocated appropriately when it operates on a deficit running in billions?

The City’s justification that tariff increases are necessary for the financial sustainability veils the years of poor governance and administrative failures that compound the city’s chronic financial challenges.

However, ActionSA maintains that residents should not be compelled to pay more while receiving less. The tariff increases are irresponsible, and not in the interest of the economic plight of residents.

ActionSA will continue to demand accountability and responsible governance to ensure that Johannesburg does not become a symbol of collapse and dysfunction.

ActionSA Athol Trollip: Former DA heavyweight, now a key ActionSA leader in the Eastern Cape.

Source – MyZA

Free Johannesburg Press Release Submissions from MyPR.co.za

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.