Power cuts to start in Komani in November
No payment by EMLM of accumulated debt
Eskom will start its bulk electricity supply interruptions for the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) area on November 20 due to the municipality’s failure to pay its accumulated debt.
In a notice published on the power utility’s website, it is stated that interruptions of electricity supply to municipalities was considered as a last resort by the power utility company and only implemented after all mechanisms to get payment had been exhausted.
The Rep reported (“Power cuts could start in November” September 28) that EMLM owed Eskom R53.4m after it failed to pay its August account.
The amount had since accumulated and according to information which had not been confirmed by the time of going to print, the local authority owed over
R100m to Eskom. According to a reliable source at Eskom the debt continued to increase, with only
R15m paid last month. Of this amount, R10m was paid by the Chris Hani District Municipality and
R5m by the local authority, which still fell short of the required amount to prevent interruptions.
The source indicated R80m was owed as of last month, which would increase by another R30m when the bill was due to be paid today.
EMLM spokesperson Fundile Feketshane had not responded at the time of going to press.