[BREAKING NEWS] Why Kinross and Evander are not experiencing power cuts

Ms Vogel in the meantime confirmed that eMzinoni is on their list for cut-offs and is therefore affected as well.

She said only Evander and Kinross are not affected by the power cuts and she again assured the Ridge Times that she would send the technical details as soon as possible.

The Ridge Times has been investigating the fact that only Secunda, Bethal, eMbalenhle, eMzinoni and Trichardt are experiencing power cuts after Govan Mbeki Municipality failed to pay its Eskom debt of about R536 million to Eskom.

Eskom has been implementing bulk power supply interruptions in the Govan Mbeki Municipality from Monday, 9 October.

Our readers have been complaining on social media about Kinross and Evander that are not affected by the power cuts and said it is unfair.

Some residents are also speculating on social media that the reason these towns are not experiencing power cuts, is because Govan Mbeki Municipality’s executive mayor, Ms Flora Maboa-Boltman, and some of the councillors resides in these towns.

Ms Juanita Vogel, Stakeholder Management and Communication Practitioner of Eskom, said in a statement that Kinross and Evanders’  accounts are all up to date. She said Eskom does not disconnect points which are up to date on payments.

When asked this morning to clarify how this is possible, because they are part of the same municipality as the other towns that are affected, Ms Vogel said she would provide the Ridge Times with the technical details as soon as possible.

“It is however possible and can happen that some towns in a municipality could be on a different electricity system and would therefore be up to date with their accounts,” said Ms Vogel.

The Ridge Times will make the technical details available as soon as these are received from Eskom.

Ms Estelle Swart, DA councillor of Evander, however provided a different reason that these towns are not experiencing power cuts.

Ms Swart posted this statement on a Facebook group this morning, 12 October.

Loadshedding to Evander and Kinross the lines that feed these towns also feed the surrounding farms and the Panaf Evander Gold Mines operation therefore loadshedding cannot be done in this area as the mines and farmers pay directly to Eskom not to  GMM.  They are not defaulting to warrant them to have loadshedding. 

Ms Swart said she received this information from an informant at Eskom.

Please keep an eye on this post as the story will be evolving throughout the day.

Also read:

https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/99303/gmm-councillors-received-death-threats-and-need-bodyguards/

https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/99442/power-cuts-will-continue-govan-mbeki-municipality-pays-eskom-r50-million/

For free daily local news in the South, visit our sister newspapers Highvelder, Standerton Advertiser
For more news and interesting articles, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram