Expect electricity disruptions as ELM breaches Eskom payment obligation

SEDIBENG.- Although Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) is adamant that it has been paying its monthly debt to Eskom, the national electricity regulator plans to implement electricity disruptions from August 6.

Eskom said that due to monthly increase of debt in an amount of approximately R200 000 000.000 (two hundred million) per month and with the ELM making non or insufficient payments to cover its arrear debt and current consumption it has been left with no alternative but to implement electricity disruptions on August 6.

ELM spokesperson Stanley Gaba said that ELM paid Eskom R35 million on July 12 this year and a further R134 million on Tuesday July 17 leading to a total of R169 million paid. According to Gaba, this means that the municipality is keeping to payment arrangements agreed with Eskom to pay R135 million before the 8th of every month. He added that the total debt owed to Eskom by ELM currently stands at R650 million.

“The municipality has noted untrue, unfair and defamatory media reports that it last paid Eskom in October. To work towards reducing both the current and historical debt, the municipality has made payments to Eskom every month since December 2017 to date. The news report states as fact that the municipality’s debt with Eskom has raised monthly, a statement Emfuleni hereby refutes and dismisses with the contempt it deserves, Gaba said.

Eskom however, is adamant that ELM has breached its payment obligation and that this undermines and places in jeopardy its ability to continue the national supply of electricity on a financial sustainable basis.

Eskom said that the areas that will be affected by the contemplated interruption and/or disconnection are Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Sebokeng Boipatong, Tshepiso, Sharpeville and Evaton except those directly supplied by it.