Power cuts loom for Eastern Cape towns as Eskom demands payment
Cuts could last as long as 14 hours a day if no payment is made, or no agreement is reached, before Monday
Eskom has announced that it will be interrupting power supply to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality from Thursday, as a result of the municipality’s mounting electricity debt. The power utility said Queenstown‚ Tarkastad‚ Hofmeyr‚ Molteno and Sterkstroom would be among the towns affected. The parties "parties failed to reach an agreement on a plan to settle the debt", Eskom said. The Daily Dispatch reported last week that mayor Sisisi Tolashe had told councillors at a special council meeting that the municipality had paid R12m to Eskom after the power utility demanded an extra R4m in order to consider the municipality’s payment plan. Zama Mpondwana‚ Eskom’s Eastern Cape spokesman‚ said the utility would proceed with the contemplated interruption of bulk electricity supply from Thursday and would continue to do so indefinitely. He said electricity would be cut during the week from 6am to 9am and again at 5pm to 8.30pm in the first week. On Saturday and Sunday‚ electricity is expected be ...
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