Lights back on at municipality
AFTER two weeks of scheduled power cuts in the Dikgatlong Local Municipality, residents can finally breathe a sigh of relief after Eskom yesterday suspended the daily electricity interruptions to the municipality.
Residents last week turned violent following the scheduled interruptions and took to the streets in protest, while also closing roads in and around Barkly West.
While Barkly West, Longlands and Delportshoop were scheduled to have their electricity cut for a total of 14 hours a day, from Danie van der Lith 6am to 8pm, from today, Eskom indicated late yesterday that the daily, scheduled supply interruptions to Dikgatlong Municipality had been suspended following litigation.
Eskom spokesperson, Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg, said yesterday said that the supply interruptions commenced on May 29 due to the municipality’s failure to honour its Eskom debt totalling R61 517 753, but that the interruptions had been suspended following litigation.
She added that the electricity would be back on by yesterday afternoon.
It is believed that a court order forced Eskom to “switch the lights back on”.
“Negotiations with the municipality will continue to ensure that it meets its financial obligations towards Eskom,” Jansen van Rensburg concluded.
Dikgatlong municipal manager, Kagiso Modise, was yesterday afternoon still unaware that electricity would be turned back on and said that while he was in possession of the court order, he did not realise that this had forced Eskom to suspend the interruptions.
“Whichever way, we do not have the money to pay Eskom,” Modise said.