Residents in the cash-strapped Enoch Mgijima local municipality have been told that in April they can expect power cuts starting at six hours a day in the week and eight on weekends as a result of a R40-million debt to Eskom.
Should a settlement not be reached between the municipality and the power utility, Eskom has warned that from week two the power interruptions would be lengthened to 14 hours a day.
The Daily Dispatch has reliably learnt, through official documents, that the municipality owes Eskom R44404619.66 despite having organised a recent council-approved overdraft of R40-million to pay salaries and a portion of its Eskom debt.
Residents experienced a number of electricity outages lately on account of a dilapidated infrastructure that has not been serviced for 13 years.
A couple of years back the erstwhile Lukhanji council approved an electricity master plan funded at R1-million a year. There is no evidence of the plan having been implemented.
Questions sent to municipal spokesman Fundile Feketshane three weeks ago have yet to be responded to.
Newly-installed mayor Sisisi Tolashe could not be reached on her cellphone and did not respond to a text query.
In a letter sent to residents by Eskom last week, provincial spokesman Zama Mpondwana said: “Eskom has invoked its credit control measures as per the bulk electricity supply agreements with Enoch Mgijima local municipality.
“As indicated in the notices published in newspapers, Eskom has notified all parties who are likely to be materially and adversely affected by the contemplated interruption of bulk supply to municipality scheduled to commence on April 11,” Mpondwana said.
Komani, where the Enoch Mgijima council is based, is the economic hub of the Chris Hani district.
The Komani area, which houses national businesses like Twizza and Crickley Dairy, recently went without electricity for five days leading to water outages as water could not be pumped without electricity.
Mpondwana said Eskom was under a statutory obligation to generate and supply electricity to the municipalities nationally on a financially sustainable basis.
“In terms of both the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 and supply agreement with Enoch Mgijima local municipality, Eskom is entitled to interrupt the supply of electricity of defaulting municipalities,” Mpondwana said, adding that the intended outages were a last resort.
lThe plan is to start the outages on April 11 at 6am-9am and 5pm-8pm on weekdays and 8.30am-noon and 3pm-7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. From week two the interruptions would be 6am-8pm every day.
Lights-out torment looms for Enoch Mgijima
Should a settlement not be reached between the municipality and the power utility, Eskom has warned that from week two the power interruptions would be lengthened to 14 hours a day.
The Daily Dispatch has reliably learnt, through official documents, that the municipality owes Eskom R44404619.66 despite having organised a recent council-approved overdraft of R40-million to pay salaries and a portion of its Eskom debt.
Residents experienced a number of electricity outages lately on account of a dilapidated infrastructure that has not been serviced for 13 years.
A couple of years back the erstwhile Lukhanji council approved an electricity master plan funded at R1-million a year. There is no evidence of the plan having been implemented.
Questions sent to municipal spokesman Fundile Feketshane three weeks ago have yet to be responded to.
Newly-installed mayor Sisisi Tolashe could not be reached on her cellphone and did not respond to a text query.
In a letter sent to residents by Eskom last week, provincial spokesman Zama Mpondwana said: “Eskom has invoked its credit control measures as per the bulk electricity supply agreements with Enoch Mgijima local municipality.
“As indicated in the notices published in newspapers, Eskom has notified all parties who are likely to be materially and adversely affected by the contemplated interruption of bulk supply to municipality scheduled to commence on April 11,” Mpondwana said.
Komani, where the Enoch Mgijima council is based, is the economic hub of the Chris Hani district.
The Komani area, which houses national businesses like Twizza and Crickley Dairy, recently went without electricity for five days leading to water outages as water could not be pumped without electricity.
Mpondwana said Eskom was under a statutory obligation to generate and supply electricity to the municipalities nationally on a financially sustainable basis.
“In terms of both the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 and supply agreement with Enoch Mgijima local municipality, Eskom is entitled to interrupt the supply of electricity of defaulting municipalities,” Mpondwana said, adding that the intended outages were a last resort.
lThe plan is to start the outages on April 11 at 6am-9am and 5pm-8pm on weekdays and 8.30am-noon and 3pm-7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. From week two the interruptions would be 6am-8pm every day.
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