On warning
Eskom threatens power cuts unless they are paid
ANOTICE of intent by Eskom to restrict the power supply to the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) from next month due to an unpaid account of R44-million, has sparked panic and elicited comment on social media.
According to the notice, the restrictions will start on April 3 at six hours per day during the week and eight hours on a weekend due to the unpaid account.
The notice indicates that should a settlement not be reached between the local authority and the power utility, Eskom has warned that from week two the power cuts would be escalated to 14 hours a day.
The municipality has been plagued with regular power outages as a result of aging infrastructure which, in turn, affected the supply of municipal water handled by the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM).
CHDM spokeswoman Thobeka Mqamelo said the municipality was discussing the issue of looming power cuts and that various affected parties would be involved and a statement to this effect would be issued as soon as possible.
The pumping of water is affected when there is no power. municipality’s Eskom debt.
The MM indicated in a telephonic conversation with The Rep that the loan facility had not been granted by FNB yet, and that the municipality first needed to check whether it would be able to pay back the money by the end of this financial year.
“The municipality has not yet received an official notice from Eskom warning about power interruptions, but I have seen it doing the rounds on social media. Mayor Sisisi Tolashe has organised a process to mitigate the power issue but I cannot yet disclose that information. We attribute the possible power cuts as warned by the power utility to the non-payment of electricity by the residents. Komani is a community that hates itself and will reap the fruits of bypassing electricity meters and stealing power.”
When asked about a meeting in Bhisho with the office of the premier on Wednesday to discuss the financial woes faced by the municipality, in particular the electricity issue, Magwangqana said he was not in a position to disclose the contents of said meeting.
Eskom provincial spokesman Zama Mpondwana indicated via a statement that Eskom had invoked its credit control measures as per the bulk electricity supply agreements with Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality. bulk supply to the municipality scheduled to commence on April 11 and continue indefinitely. Eskom is under statutory obligation to generate and supply electricity to municipalities nationally on a financially sustainable basis.
“EMLM’s breach of its payment obligation to Eskom undermines and places in jeopardy Eskom’s ability to continue the national supply of electricity. In terms of both the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 and supply agreement with the municipality, Eskom is entitled to interrupt the supply of electricity of defaulting municipalities of which EMLM is, on account of non-payment of electricity debt”.
Mpondwana said the disconnection of the bulk supply to a municipality was implemented as a last resort, after all other measures had failed.
In the Border Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) networking event in Komani on Wednesday evening, Komani chairwoman Adre Bartis said maintenance on the Komani infrastructure had not been done in the past 14 years while changes in the mayors and municipal managers of the institution had left the EMLM in flux.
A recent extended power outage, resulting from lightning striking a transformer, had shown that none of the transformers in the area had lightning