Panyaza Lesufi sets January deadline for resolving Gauteng’s energy issues

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has set a deadline of January 1 2024 for his government to resolve the myriad energy-related issues plaguing the province’s 11 municipalities, which include illegal connections, cable theft and damaged infrastructure, as well as crippling debt to Eskom and other entities.

Lesufi addressed the Gauteng energy indaba under way at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand, on Thursday. Business, local government, civic organisations and provincial government departments all converged to find permanent solutions to the issue.

Speakers included energy council of SA CEO James Mackay, SA Local Government Association [Salga] Gauteng chair Jongizizwe Dlabathi and Free State premier Mxolisi Dukwana, who gave a message of support.

The premier challenged delegates to “debate and discuss” ways to find solutions to the electricity crisis in the province, especially pertaining to municipalities.

He stressed the importance of fixing the mountain of issues plaguing municipalities, saying that if Gauteng can’t “fix municipalities, we will not fix the issue of electricity” in the province.

He confirmed that R1.2bn had been set aside to tackle all these issues and that 85 companies had committed to help the province with this.

“Almost 17 townships have been without electricity for the last four years. So even if [most of us] go through the pain of load-shedding, there are many communities that go through something called load reduction.

“In convening you all today, we’re openly declaring that we don’t have [all the] answers as provincial government alone, we’re declaring that local government doesn't have answers alone [and neither do] Eskom, ward councillors and businesses. But together we can formulate a path that will provide answers,” he said. 

Top of Lesufi’s agenda is to deal with illegal electricity connections. The premier said his government has set a target of January 2024 to ensure all residents who have connected to the grid illegally make their connections legal.

He said the province would help residents legalise their connections between October and December so that those who can pay for electricity do so and to “shield” those who can’t afford to. This will be done through an electronic register for the unemployed, poor and elderly.

“We want to be the first province to say, all those who are getting social grants, especially pensioners, we must not exercise any form of debt control to them. But if they have back rooms, those people must not hide behind the elderly. They must have their own meters and pay for them,” he said.

Lesufi touched on the rollout of smart prepaid meters across the province, saying these would address the issues of incorrect meter readings or disputed billing. These smart meters will assist with controlling electricity usage, especially during load-shedding, by keeping essential appliances on and switching off nonessentials.

On the municipalities’ debt to Eskom, Lesufi disclosed that 10 municipalities owed a combined R13bn to the ailing utility and of that amount, Emfuleni owed a whopping R7bn. Tshwane owed R3.5bn, Ekurhuleni R2.9bn and Joburg R1.7bn.

Only Midvaal remained debt-free and was in fact owed money by Eskom.

“We need to salute Midvaal. It means it is doable,” he said.

Among other issues he touched on were cable theft and damage to infrastructure, disclosing that 83 transformers and five mini substations in Joburg alone were not working, and the issue of provincial departments and municipalities owing each other money.

“You can’t have one arm of government attaching the debt of another arm. We need to establish a debt management agency with the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs nationally, so we can manage this debt. We can’t do so through the courts,” he said.

Lesufi set a deadline of January 1 2024 to deal with these issues as well.

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