Eskom’s debt rises despite threats to non-paying municipalities
Masilonyana local municipality owes Eskom R39.8m and may face 14-hour daily power cuts
Eskom’s debt from municipalities keeps on rising‚ despite the power utility threatening the municipalities with power disruptions if they do not pay. On Monday‚ Eskom announced it would interrupt power supply to the Masilonyana local municipality from Wednesday for six-and-a-half-hours a day during the week and for seven-and-a-half-hours at the weekend after the municipality’s failure to meet its payment obligations. Eskom said that if no payment is made this week‚ power interruptions are scheduled to increase to 14 hours a day‚ from 6am to 8pm‚ starting on October 24. Eskom said it may‚ with 15 calendar days’ notice‚ reserve the right to disconnect electricity entirely and indefinitely should the electricity debt situation not improve. Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said on Tuesday that the municipality‚ which covers Brandfort‚ Theunissen‚ Verkeerdevlei and Winburg‚ owed Eskom R39.8m. Phasiwe said the power utility was owed R16bn by some municipalities in the country‚ and that th...
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