Eskom to switch off power supply to Newcastle on Monday

Electricity supply to Newcastle will be switched off on Monday morning, reports Newcastle Advertiser.

Eskom issued an official notice of its decision to proceed with the interruption of power supply on Thursday afternoon, after receiving no joy from Newcastle Municipality with regards to how it intends to pay off more than R200 million in debt, which has been accumulating for more than two years.

“After careful consideration of the impact of the growing municipal debt and failure of Newcastle Municipality to settle its overdue debt, Eskom has taken a decision to proceed with the contemplated interruption that was communicated and published from August 26 to September 25,” reads the notice.

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The temporary scheduled disconnection begins on September 30 and will take place from Monday to Friday between 6am and 9am, and again between 5pm and 8pm. On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no power supply from 8.30am until 12pm, and again between 3pm and 8pm.

Click here to view notice.

One of KwaZulu-Natal’s largest economic hubs, Newcastle is already taking strain after dramatic rates increases following the 2018/2019 property valuations, with many businesses already looking at relocating to remain sustainable.

Members of the Newcastle Business Forum expressed that the added loss of productivity due to daily power interruptions would lead to massive job losses, and have embarked on a campaign to have NERSA withdraw the local municipality’s license to supply electricity and have Eskom supply Newcastle’s consumers directly.

Since his urgent meeting with Eskom on September 2, Mayor Ntuthuko Mahlaba has remained adamant Newcastle will not experience any power interruptions, and appeared to be counting on the engagement between the municipality, Eskom, CoGTA and KZN Treasury, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, to resolve the situation with a revised payment plan.

Acting Municipal Manager, Muzi Mayisela seemed unaware of the issue of the notice when he was contacted for comment, but promised to provide a response as soon as he has had a chance to consult with the relevant authorities.

Eskom has acknowledged receipt of more than 200 submissions from Newcastle residents and business owners who objected to the planned power interruption via the Newcastle Advertiser, and has begun the process of responding to each submission.

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