Eskom settles out of court over Astral power
The utility strikes a deal with poultry producer Astral over power interruptions at its Lekwa operations
Eskom has brokered a deal with poultry producer Astral to give the company uninterrupted power despite the base of its operations, Lekwa Local Municipality, owing Eskom millions of rands for electricity. Municipalities that have also faced interruptions administer services to at least 26 towns — including Ventersdorp, Richmond, Witbank, Ermelo and Bloemhof. These municipalities owe Eskom about R10bn. The interruptions in Lekwa would have severely affected Astral’s operations as it needs much power for its operations. As part of the new agreement, Astral will make payments to Eskom directly for the powerit consumes. The agreement came as a settlement out of court, after the company had approached the High Court in Pretoria for an order preventing Eskom from interrupting electricity supply to Standerton over Lekwa’s continued defaulting on its electricity payments. Astral CEO Chris Schutte said that the agreement would go a long way in assisting Lekwa municipality to fulfil its consti...
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