Hundreds of disgruntled Durban residents took to the streets on Friday to protest against an increase in electricity, water, sanitation and rates tariffs proposed by the eThekwini municipality.

They came together under the banner of the Unite Durban coalition and brought traffic in the CBD to a standstill to voice their dissatisfaction at the tariff hikes and load-shedding.

Community activist Desmond D'Sa challenged leaders, including Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, to scrap the proposed increases.

The city has proposed:

• a 21.91% hike in electricity;
• 14.9% for water;
• 8% for refuse; and
• 11.9% for sanitation.

“The tariff increases are bad for the public. Everybody has no money, inflation has climbed. Where do people get the money in a country facing huge unemployment?” asked D'Sa.

Merebank pastor Irvan Reddy, who represented religious leaders, questioned how the government expected communities to make ends meet with rising costs of living.

He said load-shedding is severely affecting small- and medium-sized businesses.

“These businesses employ a lot of people [and] are suffocating as their overheads have gone up drastically.”

The latest interest rate hike had added to people's woes, said Reddy.

“This is happening while corruption soars and government is paying lip service. Every other home has to contend with a broken sewer which [is] symptomatic to our lived conditions.”

Protesters presented a memorandum listing their demands and concerns to city representative Reggy Cele.

TimesLIVE