GTM’s Energy Forum is resuscitated

After a long hiatus the Greater Tzaneen Municipality Energy Forum has been revived in a bid to quell energy issues which have left businesses and users frustrated. The revival of the forum follows a meeting the municipality had with the parliamentary portfolio committee that resolved that the forum ought to be resuscitated to address power issues and schedule meetings with stakeholders. The move comes after business owners started a petition regarding intermittent power cuts which were stifling trade in the municipal area leading to parliament instructing that the forum be re-established. Issues such as billing and accounts were raised and described as an ongoing frustration to many. When users received their accounts they are rarely accurate and adding to the frustration is the lack of communication from GTM. With the municipality being home to a large farming community, vegetation control was mentioned as an issue. Support is needed from communities such as notifying the municipality when they plan to do vegetation control to mitigate and minimise outages. Stakeholders in the meeting also mentioned that there were costs that organisations had to incur to continue doing business. Furthermore, stakeholders said communication is hampered with only one number working to report problems. GTM municipal manager, Serapelo Matlala, addressed stakeholders in a virtual meeting on Tuesday August 3, saying the municipality was facing challenges and needed a collaboration between stakeholders in moving forward to resolve the issues. The forum has been earmarked to facilitate matters concerning quality of power supply to consumers and ensure said consumers have a platform to discuss issues affecting them. As the forum had been inactive for a while, it was resolved that meetings would be held monthly to get up to speed with the various issues consumers were experiencing and come up with solutions and close the gap. Matlala said the approaching rain seaon meant there would be an increase in maintenance issues and the municipality and forum should take hands to address the issue.