The Council of Ngwathe local municipality has today (05 Jun 2015) tabled and finalised its payment plan for the Eskom account, including the Budget for the forthcoming financial year and the recovery plan.
We are confident that this plan will be workable for the account as we also need to continue implementing other service delivery commitments while adhering to our payment plan.
On the other hand we continue with our flagship project ‘Operation Patala Ditshebeletso’ where the Mayor Cllr MJ Mochela is encouraging residents to continue paying for their services so as to allow the municipality to pay its creditors including Eskom and improve on the delivery of services.
Despite prophets of doom and other self-appointed bearers of bad news, this campaign has yielded positive results in terms of fixing faulty meters, verify indigent households while cutting-off those who do not adhere to their arrangements with the municipality.
While we are owed a combination of at least R700 million, this campaign has improved our revenue and we further request municipal councillors, especially opposition parties, that, while they enjoy the sympathy of local media and act like journalists for these papers, they must also speak the language of the collective by encouraging residents and their constituencies to pay for their services, like ANC councillors have been doing.
There are those forces of anarchy organising picketing and marches hiding behind service delivery, where they are direct beneficiaries of illegal consumption. They complain about Eskom account whereas they are the main perpetrators of this debacle for consuming electricity illegally.
We further appreciate the assistance and guidance from Office of the Free State Premier, Cogta, Treasury , Dept of Energy, SALGA and other organs of government both at Provincial and National departments who are assisting us on our revenue enhancement endeavours. We also request our residents to cooperate with the Police to deal with criminals selling electricity illegally in the municipality. We are also in talks with Eskom as there are allegations of foul play by some of its own employees.
