Asset auction day dawns in Komani

Eskom threatens to cut power to Enoch Mgijima

ENOCH Mgijima assets go hammer today. The municipality’s bid to prevent today’s auction failed on Tuesday, and Eskom has threatened to cut the power supply to the Komanibased local authority if it continues to default on its repayment plan.

The troubled municipality failed municipality’s under the again to service its debt power utility last month.

Residents have now threatened to further cripple the municipality through a rates boycott.

The municipality had committed to pay Eskom:

● R24.4-million before July 31;

● R10-million by November 30; and

● A further R10-million before March 31 2019.

While Eskom spokesman Zama Mpondwana would not say how much the municipality was supposed to pay, an insider said the local authority should have paid R15-million by the end of April.

Mpondwana said the municipality was in breach of the payment plan. to the

“[In the event of] failure on the part of the municipality to implement remedial action, Eskom will notify all affected parties of the date of supply interruptions, should the company decide to proceed,” he said.

Municipal spokesman Fundile Feketshane said: “We would like to urge everyone not to panic as this matter may easily cause the community to be anxious unnecessarily.

“We shall keep you posted on the matter as we go forward.”

But Border Kei Business Chamber chairwoman Adre Bartis said the matter was causing panic in both business and the community.

“The chamber had offered, and is still offering, to assist the municipality with revenue collection.

“Currently there is no billing taking place, but we collect accounts on behalf of business so that they can pay their accounts,” she said.

Meanwhile, residents have established an association which they plan to use to campaign for the municipality to be placed under administration.

The residents’ association secretary, Axolile Masiza, said they would work tirelessly to hold municipal bosses to account.

“The reason for the move is that there is no service delivery in our areas and as the community we are not informed of what is happening in our municipality,” he said.

Masiza threatened would withhold rates.

Another episode in the ongoing drama played out yesterday when opposition parties marched out of a special council meeting at the Sandringham Sports Ground over unhappiness with how the integrated development plan (IDP) and budget had been done.

They claimed some of the 34 wards had not been consulted, and therefore did not have any input on the IDP, as should be the case.

Commenting on the looming auction, municipal manager Chris Magwangqana said he had filed papers in court trying to stop the auction from going ahead. — that they