On Saturday night Eskom once again switched off electricity supply to Parys all of a sudden after the Ngwathe municipality exceeded it’s contracted notifyable maximum demand.
As the Vaal River Development Association (Parys Besigheids- en Ontwikkelingsforum) together with Parys Gemeenskaps Aksie has started legal action against Ngwathe and Eskom, and will be going to court this week, two neigbouring towns, Fochville and Carletonville, are also awaiting a court date.
Adele Louw from Carletonville Herald reports that Eskom recently revealed that the outstanding municipal account for Merafong Municipality is rising. By 8 July, Eskom said the municipality owed R452,518,993. It stood at R383,073,085 before the lockdown.
The municipality received an interdict against Eskom in March, which prohibits the electricity provider from cutting Carletonville and Fochville’s electricity supply due to the municipality’s non-payment.
iIn Merafong’s case Eskom said it will not cut the towns’ electricity until the matter has been resolved in court.
“A court date has not been set. “The municipality is paying the power utility and is still willing to enter into a credible payment arrangement with Eskom,” a municipal spokesperson said.
