SEDIBENG. – If the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) thinks that its troubles are soon to be over, it had better think again.
On Monday, Eskom which generates approximately 95% of the electricity used in South Africa issued a notice of the interruption of bulk electricity supply to Emfuleni Local Municipality as of October 3.
ELM is currently indebted to Eskom to the amount of R 194 781 900.79 (One Hundred ninety four million seven hundred eighty one thousand nine hundred rand and seventy nine cents) for the bulk of supply of electricity supply, part of which had been outstanding and in escalation (debt) since 20 April 2017.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Eskom’s national spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe, said that Eskom is under a statutory obligation to generate and supply electricity to the municipalities nationally on a financially sustainable basis.
“It is not only Emfuleni that we have issued notices to as there are also municipalities in North West, Nothernen Cape and Mpumalanga that are under the same process,” he said. In the notice issued, Eskom said that ELM’s breach of its payment obligation to Eskom undermines and placed in jeopardy Eskom’s ability to continue the national supply of electricity on a financially sustainable basis.
This is not to be mistaken for load-shedding. “The community must not take this as load-shedding. This is not disconnection but interruption at specific hours,” Phasiwe said, adding that there is no dispute and that the ELM needs to pay for services rendered.
“They used our services, they at least need to pay a portion of the amount, where thereafter negotiations can take place as to how and when their account will be brought to date,” Phasiwe said. In the notice placed in newspapers nationally, Eskom said that it recognises that the indefinite disconnection of electricity supply may cause undue hardship to consumers and members of the community, and may adversely affect the delivery of other services.
The company invited all affected parties to submit written representations, comments and/or submissions indicating why it should or should not proceed with the contemplated interruptions. The contemplated interruption of electricity supply will result in a schedule supplied to the community.
“In order to protect the national interest in the sustainability of electricity, it has become necessary for Eskom to exercise its right to disconnect the supply of electricity to Emfuleni Local Municipality,” the notice said. ELM’s Stanley Gaba, acting manager for communications, marketing, branding and events management did not answer our numerous calls when requesting comment on the matter.
