Update: Interruption of bulk supply to eMalahleni Local Municipality

Eskom, as per the final decision notice communicated in the media during this week, will continue with the interruption of supply to the municipalities whose accounts are in arrears, including that of eMalahleni Local Municipality, Witbank News reports.

Eskom is following the PAJA process (in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, Act 3 of 2000) that will culminate in the disconnection of the bulk supply to affected municipalities.

This interruption of supply will affect all areas and extensions that are supplied from the following four bulk-supply points.

1. Churchill
2. Kwa Guqa
3. Doornpoort
4. Witbank DS/Municipal

Effectively all areas supplied from these points will be affected, even if these areas may not specifically have been mentioned in the notice issued before.

READ MORE: Decison made: Lights out for Witbank

The date on which interruption will be implemented is January 23, 2017. For a full list of areas supplied from these bulk points, kindly consult with the eMalahleni Local Municipality.

Note that Eskom will disconnect all points that are not paid up to date.

With regards to the queries received from interested parties regarding the possibility of becoming direct Eskom customers, Eskom’s supply licence as granted by Nersa (National Electricity Regulator of South Africa) precludes it from supplying customers and/or to areas for which a Local Municipality is licensed to supply.

Eskom is constantly engaging the municipality to find an amicable solution towards this challenge.

Interested parties, media included, may direct their queries to the defaulting municipalities, as we are not at liberty to discuss customer accounts with third parties further than the issued final decision.

Initially, Eskom released the areas where they will cut off their supply despite residents and business owners’ submission of detailed negative effect the interruption is likely to have.

– Caxton News Service

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.