OUTA Blasts New Solar Requirements as ‘Legally Flawed’

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has taken aim at a new position paper by the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities (AMEU), warning it could mislead municipalities into imposing unlawful requirements on households with small-scale solar systems. OUTA says the AMEU is overstating municipal powers and misinterpreting national legislation, risking confusion for installers, consumers and local governments. The watchdog also questions the AMEU’s transparency, saying the

paper lists no experts or technical committees involved in its development. According to OUTA, existing national laws including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Electrical Installation Regulations already clearly spell out who can set, interpret and enforce electrical safety rules. Phemelo speaks to OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage and Eskom Distribution’s New Business Development Manager, Silesh Mansingh for clarity.