Thanks for nothing SEC

Thank you for allowing me space again in your must-have newspaper. I would be very grateful if you could send a copy of this letter to SEC officials, maybe they can give the nation a satisfactory response.

If you can go to the shop next to your home and ask for E300 SEC vouchers on the first day of the month, then you will see what I mean.

I have been a victim to this at least once but I was disappointed. Let us assume you only find E50 vouchers, but no E100, then you buy six of them to get your E300 ‘power’, then you send by SMS the first E50 to 8888. You will get an annoying response that says ‘amount too small’ no matter how many SMSs you send. As long as they are less than E55 per voucher, then forget, you do not have the power.

To my view that shows the degree of thinking in some other people entrusted with serving the nation is just questionable. How on earth can SEC introduce vouchers less than E55 for the broad-daylight robbery service fee? It is just useless to have those vouchers in place when they do not help us all the times.

Maybe it would be a good idea if SEC would just feed her network system with the necessary information so that we as customers do not get inconvenienced. We must be allowed to SMS E25 vouchers as we wish, then the SEC computer system take that E55 from there, or just do away with the useless vouchers.

Lastly, may SEC stop effecting tariff increases just because ESKOM has done so. Our economies (Swaziland and South Africa) are far different to compare. Just introduce reasonable increase because it is not our fault that you import over 75 per cent of power; that is a shame for such a big company.

Siboniso Chapman Shongwe

Othandweni

RESPONSE FROM SEC:

The E25 and E50 vouchers are intended as top-up for customers who do not owe any previous balances on their accounts or the monthly fixed charge of E55.

Contrary to the assertion made by this customer, the request to have these vouchers was forwarded to SEC by a number of electricity consumers who, seemingly, are happy to top-up with the smaller denominations.

Maybe, it is imperative that on pre-paid electricity sales customers must be able to purchase for such smaller amounts, and this is normal practice in the industry. Currently, the highest denomination is E200.

Regarding tariff increases, may we humbly bring it to the attention of this concerned customer that tariff reviews are regulated by a competent Regulatory Authority setup in terms of the Energy Regulatory Authority Act of 2007. Sifiso Dhlamini

Corporate Communications Manager

Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC)

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