Randfontein Local Municipality executive mayor Sylvia Thebenare has slammed rumours that power utility Eskom is threatening to switch off all lights in Randfontein.
This was announced at a council meeting last week Friday the municipality admitted to owing Eskom a whopping R89 million in arrears electricity accounts.
Thebenare has promised that, in accordance with a new payment plan, the arrears on the town’s electricity account will be cleared in a period of seven months.
According to Thebenare, the first payment of R9 million will be made this July.
A further R5 million will be paid in October and the last payments for the year of R35 million will be paid between November and December.
Another R40 million will be paid into Eskom’s account between January and March next year.
According to Thebenare, this will be done with funds received from debt collection as well as funds reserved for debt relief to indigent families.
“To achieve our obligations towards Eskom, we have committed ourselves to implementing an aggressive revenue enhancement programme with immediate effect
“This will allow us to collect enough funds from our debtors to honour our arrears with. .
“In order to have a back-up plan, we have also instructed the Municipal Manager to engage with the council’s bankers to negotiate an overdraft for council of R50 million,” says Thebenare
She adds that this will assist the municipality in honouring its Eskom account should they experience a low collection rate.
They can’t even fix the roads nor can they replace all street name boards! How in Gods name will they pay the lovely Eskom bill then???
The failure of the infrastructure is the first sign. If they can’t pay the Escom bill, how would they ever be able to maintain the electrical infrastructure not even mentioning our roads and water supply. Shouldn’t somebody take responsibility for this mess what’s happening with our rates and taxes paid to the council in time every month ?
By not wasting money this year on the City Hall we can pay R 10 million to Eskom right away. Or has someone’s cousin already won that tender?
But we are spending R10 mil on a “facelift”… What did they do with the money that we paid? We pay rates & taxes EVERY month, where is that money!?! We don’t have roads we can drive on, no manhole covers in our driveway, pathetic street lights, soon no electricity, the list is never end
ing! Rndf Municipality, you are stealing our hard earned money, & now rate increases as well… It seems that a 7 year old manages the budget…