On Friday hundreds of Karasburg residents took to the streets to demand clarity on a contract the Municipality entered into with a private electricity contractor, Southern Electricity Service Company (SELCO).

Members of the community claim that since the operation and management of their town's electricity supply was outsourced to SELCO, electricity service charges have risen by between 100 to 250 per cent.

They accuse the Council of gross negligence for allegedly negotiating a contract which fails to protect consumers against "excessive profiteering".

The residents charge that the contract gives SELCO too much power over the town's electricity infrastructure, a move they say is detrimental to their existence.

"Since SELCO took over, the price of electricity has sky-rocketed.

People can no longer afford [to pay] and they are now being threatened with warning letters from SELCO demanding payment," a Karasburg priest, Father Charles Goliath, said.

Added community activist Lazarus Khairabeb: "Council members failed to apply the best of their minds on the principles of public objective and the available other avenues for an informed decision".

The demonstrators handed over a petition to the Council outlining their grievances and queries.

They have demanded answers by Thursday.

The residents allege that most contract negotiation meetings between the Council and SELCO went unrecorded, and were not always attended by the quorum required to engage council in substantive decision-making.

"We believe an institution like the Council may not enter into a business transaction without applying certain procedures that will ensure the availability of records for years to come," says the petition.

"If no minutes were taken, the Council must give the reasons for this neglect".

Residents are also demanding that Council provide them with proof of a sanction against excessive profiteering on the part of the contractor.

Another issue said to have caused great uneasiness among members of the community is the separation of basic charges for electricity consumption from the pre-paid card system.

According to Father Goliath, Council members are pleading ignorance on the new arrangement, apparently claiming that SELCO did not consult them on that decision.

Residents have vowed to return to the streets unless their grievances are addressed.

Attempts to get comment from both the Karasburg Municipality and SELCO at the weekend proved fruitless.

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