Challenge to Eskom threat to cut supply

ESKOM is being taken to court over its plans to cut electricity supply to communities in eight non-paying municipalities.

The power utility resolved to implement scheduled blackouts to the municipalities‚ all located in the Free State‚ as from tomorrow.

Eskom took this decision on December 22‚ on the grounds that the municipalities owed it almost R700-million.

These local municipalities are Nala‚ Nketoana‚ Dihlabeng‚ Moqhaka‚ Mantsopa‚ Mafube‚ Masilonyana and Tokologo.

According to Eskom’s plan‚ from Monday to Friday residents would be without electricity between 6am and 8am and again from 5pm to 7.30pm.

On weekends power would be cut from 8.30am to 11am and also between 3pm and 5.30pm.

But AfriForum‚ the lobby group‚ argues Eskom is wrong to seek to punish residents and local businesses for failures of the municipalities.

The group wants the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to interdict the power utility.

Judge Hans Fabricius briefly heard the urgent application yesterday. He postponed it to today to allow him time to read Eskom’s replying affidavit.

Modise Khoza SC‚ Eskom’s lawyer on the matter‚ indicated he would oppose the application on grounds AfriForum had no legal standing to take up the matter. — TMG Digital