MCLM plays open cards regarding Eskom debt

Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) once again paid a visit to businesses to either switch off or negotiate a payment arrangement for their electrical accounts which are in arrears. This is all done in an effort from Mogale City to get their own account with Eskom up to date.

MMC for Utilities, Councillor Kagiso Lekagane and his team visited seven major businesses in Homeshaven, Rietfontein, Driefontein, Sugarbush Estates, Featherbrooke Estates and in Magaliesburg to negotiate about their unpaid electrical bills.

They accumulatively owed MCLM R9 234 649 with one company owing just over R2 million. After visiting the entities the MMC managed to collect a total R1.4 million towards the R9 million debt from two of the companies.

He said that the others had arranged to meet with MCLM to come to a payment arrangement. And added that the operation that was held on Tuesday, November 22 was done two weeks after the last operation in order to serve these companies with notices.

The News asked Eskom how much they are owed. Ronel Kotze from Eskom’s Communication and Stakeholder Relations Department responded by saying, “The Mogale City Local Municipality’s total Eskom debt is R408 million as at November 24 which is inclusive of arrear debt amount of R329 million. The municipality was unable to honour the payment arrangement and after various engagements, litigation was started to recover the arrear debt”.

It could then be said that the R9 million owed by these companies and the R61 million owed by companies from the previous operation would go a long way in assisting the MCLM to settle their debt with Eskom and ensuring the residents of MCLM continue to get serviced.

Lekagane, however, explained that this is historical debt that is still being paid off and that MCLM wants to continue delivering services to the community and that is why they are working to collect the debt.