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My WhatsApp Group has been inundated with calls from both these numbers – 084 402 4264 and 084 658 5660 – directed at individual members of the group. The modus operandi goes as follows: “A Patrick calls saying that he is calling from the group about some meeting. When told by the individual that declines …

A couple of weeks back I was musing that Eskom should be at the forefront of using electricity to drive their fleet/s of vehicles. After all the use-case is compelling: Eskom makes the stuff and should benefit from the lowest price possible to power their fleet. Applying BA Systems “Measure to Manage” logic to Eskom’s …

After having a look at What it Costs Eskom to Produce and Deliver Electricity we had a look at what average markups are being applied to a number of other consumer goods – the results will further depress or delight you… For comparison we used the Nelson Mandela Bay’s highest (current) Inclined Block Tariff charge …

Eskom’s “cost price” is a moving target because it depends on whether you are looking at the Primary Energy Cost (the fuel to make the power) or the Average Cost of Supply (which includes their debt, salaries, and infrastructure maintenance). As of April 2026, here is the breakdown of what it costs Eskom to produce …

Listening to Yolande Faro speak during her appearance on the Madlanga Commission I was struck by several things: Her conviction and dedication to rooting out corruption was a shining light on all those other miscreants and stumblers. NMB Lost a valuable fighter against corruption when Faro moved on after her contract came to an end. …

Your 60-Second Guide to Surviving Utility Instability & Tariff Hikes As the Nelson Mandela Bay infrastructure faces a “Perfect Storm” of maintenance backlogs and the upcoming 11.2% July tariff hike, use this checklist to audit your home’s resilience. THE FINANCIAL SHIELD (Tariff Preparation) Audit your “Step 3” Usage: Check if your monthly consumption exceeds 500kWh. …

For many in Gqeberha, the jump from a standard suburban home to a fully independent “Smart Home” feels overwhelming and expensive. The secret to success is a phased approach. You don’t need to do everything at once; you just need to ensure that every step you take is compatible with the next. Here is the …

On 1 July 2026, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality will implement its 11.2% tariff increase. While the headlines focus on electricity, the real “Perfect Storm” is the Basket of Services – the combined cost of power, water, sanitation, and rates. If your costs go up by 11.2% across the board, you can’t just “use less” …

With the 11.2% overall municipal increase arriving on 1 July 2026, the “payback period” for a solar-to-EV installation is shrinking significantly. While the grid becomes more expensive, your roof remains inflation-proof. Solar Synergy—Driving on 100% Sunshine If the April 1st fuel hike was a wake-up call, the July 1st municipal electricity increase is the final …

The 11.2% increase tabled in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) council meeting yesterday (31 March 2026) is scheduled to be implemented on 1 July 2026. In South Africa, the municipal financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Even though the council met yesterday to approve the draft budget and tariff structures, the …

During today’s council meeting Councillor Mafaya made reference to privileged white people (them) being responsible for the suffering of people with “small pipes” and for vandalism leading to the suffering of black people. She was challenged by three other Councillors and cajoled into a retraction. Should it rest there?

With reference to the 11.2% Increase in Municipal Services Charges – you can thank the current coalition for the increase. The motion to increase these charges was approved by 60 votes against 46. Like buying a car – would you pay 11.2% more for a piece of scrap or a functioning (not even luxury) vehicle? …

As a youngster growing up in a Catholic world there always seemed to be this morbid focus on death, sin, sex, hell and, of course, every Catholic’s second chance at getting into heaven – Purgatory. I always imagined purgatory to be like the corridors in court where people waited on hard benches, listened to confusing …

While the headlines are focused on the 12 high-ranking SAPS arrests in Pretoria, the Eastern Cape – and specifically our two Algo Bay seaports – are emerging as a critical operational hub for the “Big Five” cartel. The NMB & Eastern Cape “Connection” The testimony from “Witness A” and “Witness B” has highlighted that the …

In this article we attempt to explain why some areas in Nelson Mandela Bay face more frequent outages or lower water pressure by looking at the “blueprint” upon which the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) grid was built. Historical Context: The Architecture of Our Bay To understand why a pylon collapses in Bushy Park or why …

Pinpointing the exact “start” and “end” of Apartheid is a bit like measuring a tide; while racial segregation was woven into the fabric of the region for centuries, the formal, legal machinery of Grand Apartheid was built and dismantled through specific legislative acts. If we look strictly at the first statute established by the National …

When Elephants Fight Over Water, Humans Suffer 65% of our Water Comes from a NON Drought Area Why does the NMB NOT have their own dams? Drought Declaration After the declaration of a Drought in Nelson Mandela Bay, there are many citizens and those in business wondering if our politicians are actually living in this …

Last week on Friday afternoon I found a business that could supply me with 5l bottles of White Vinegar. I use White Vinegar, Salt and Dishwashing Liquid as an eco friendly weed killer. An employee at the business tried to get hold of his boss to complete the sale – no answer… twice. Said employee …

At least for archaic old farts such as I – more used to playing outside than in a game or chat room… In my real world business, time and success is marked by left field items such as attending client funerals*, the quiet satisfaction of hearing a client order a service every month for years …

Scrolling through a neighbourhood WhatsApp group this morning I saw a message asking; “Hello, do we have water in [name of suburb]?” Some kind soul replied thus; “I’m trying to Google this but have no internet so can’t answer… Sorry!” WTF? Was that a sarcastic joking reply or have we come so far along the …

To understand the financial impact of smart automation (local electrical contractors, Straton Electrical, offer industrial scale automation as well as commercial and private  automation) in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMBM) area, we first have to look at the Inclining Block Tariff (IBT) structure for the 2025/26 financial year. Under this system, the municipality charges a …

For residents and property owners in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), electricity costs have seen a significant upward trajectory over the last six years. Under the Inclining Block Tariff (IBT) system, the more you consume, the more you pay per unit. The following article tracks the highest domestic tariff- specifically the top consumption block …

There are some that would welcome such a thing and there are some that would not. Would You? A simple Name Change from Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) to Mandela Bay Democratic Alliance (MBDA) – is this on the cards for after the 2026 Local Elections?

We have become so inured to looking at the problem (hole) that we have forgotten how to look at the benefits (doughnut). On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, during the unveiling of the 10-meter-tall bronze statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in eThekwini, President Cyril Ramaphosa used the occasion to link the legacies of Mandela …

Cheaper power hope: Merafe Resources says Eskom and the government support (in principle) a new electricity price for ferrochrome smelters: 62 cents per kWh. But it’s not final yet because the regulator, Nersa, must still approve the deal and the contract details. How does 62c Compare? Now that amount is cheaper than the kWh price …

Maybe we should be re-directing the MBDA to project manage this? Shacks Over the last couple of months I have been transporting a casual employee back to his shack in Motherwell – transporting goods and building materials. His shack is in a newly opened area and I have watched with interest how the different occupiers …

The business community is being hit with more speculation around a further VAT increase ahead of the Budget Speech on 25 February 2026. As a glass half full kinda guy I asked myself one question today; “Who benefits from a VAT increase?” The reason why I ask is because investing in the times of volatility …

How do you feel about being able to tell your Grandparents that whilst earning R80 000 per month you still earn less and pay three times more tax than they did in 1961! If you earned R200 a month in 1961, you weren’t just “doing well”—you were living the dream. To understand why, we have …

It is a given that over time our feelings and opinions about people, places and things will change. A lot of that sentiment determines the prosperity and ‘trustworthiness’ of countries of the world. Growing up, my world view of the USA was based on mainstream news oulets, Hollywood, documentaries and second hand information from people …