‘It’s unfair for the rest of us’ — What you said about calls for Soweto’s Eskom bill to be wiped

TimesLIVE readers have weighed in on Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s calls for Soweto’s multibillion-rand electricity bill to be written off.

The politician told residents in Zola 3 the debt, reported to be around R5bn, needed to be resolved as soon as possible and asked residents who could afford to pay to cough up for services.

“Until we remove the electricity debt  in Soweto we are not going to resolve the power problem the area. But we can’t just remove the debt. We must agree on a process and it is very simple: protect those who are unemployed and the elderly who can’t pay, but ensure those running businesses in our township pay. 

“[You] can’t hide behind the poor when you are employed or run businesses in the  township. That’s the process we must undertake without fear or favour.”

Lesufi said illegal connections needed to be dealt with or the debt would soon build again. Since government took over Eskom’s debt, the state-owned entity (SOE) should write off poor communities’ debts, he said.

According to News24, the SOE has written off billions in unpaid electricity bills, with nearly R8bn in overdue debt cancelled in 2020. In 2021, TimesLIVE reported Eskom wrote off R5bn of Soweto’s then R12bn debt.

TimesLIVE asked readers whether they agreed with Lesufi.

Most (75%) readers who voted said the debt should not be written off, saying “it is unfair for the rest of us”, 21% said the debt would accumulate again and 4% said the bill should be wiped because “the people of Soweto are struggling”.

The debate continued on social media.

Sentle Adebisi Lehoko claimed there would “be riots if they try to force people to pay” and suggested a flat rate for all residents be considered.

“As things stand, the cost of living is beyond even so-called middle class. A simple budget has turned into a life-and-death struggle”.

Johnny Malesa asked: “What is so special with Soweto?

“Doesn’t Eskom needs billions to buy diesel and pay for green contracts? Is Eskom going to write off the debt for all the municipalities that owe? Think of something to win 2024 elections instead of setting [the] wrong precedence.”

Gary Burgess said he would approve of the idea if it meant everyone’s debt would be wiped.

LISTEN | We all know the solution: get the politicians out of Eskom