Should Eskom be allowed to supply power directly?

The DA in the metro has lambasted the ANC in for not ensuring that Eskom follows the metro’s credit control policy when supplying power to residents.

The DA says that the metro should have added a clause to its contract with Eskom that would ensure that the company does not give free power to people who run up arrears on their municipal accounts.

“The DA fully supports the government’s indigent policy, which allows people who have registered as not having an income to use free basic services.

“However, the party says it is unacceptable that not all those who can pay, are footing their bills for services provided by the Metro,” said DA councillor Estelle Visser.

“In areas of the metro where Eskom directly supplies power, the metro is unable to shut off electricity as it does to its direct consumers, as a means of forcing them to pay outstanding accounts for sewage, refuse removal and other services.“

The DA says that this has caused problems for some years in places like Duduza, for example, where some residents who do not pay for services have an uninterrupted electricity supply because their power is supplied directly by Eskom, while residents of Tembisa, who are supplied with power by the metro, are cut off if they have outstanding accounts.

“The DA has said for many years that the decision to allow Eskom to supply power directly to some areas was a poorly thought-out cost saving initiative,” said Visser.