TZANEEN – Communities of Tzaneen who were at risk of having their electricity disconnected can now heave a sigh of relief, after the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) applied for an urgent appeal against Lindor Ondernemings.

This is after Lindor Ondernemings, who are the property owners of 524 LT, District 9, where the Tarantaalrand substation is based, issued a public notice that if by Monday, September 29, GTM does not respond to their demands, they will disconnect the substation.

The substation, which is owned by GTM, supplies electricity to areas including Nkowankowa, Deerpark, Lenyenye and Taganshoek.

However, GTM does not have a formal lease agreement to occupy the land. On Monday, September 22, the landowner’s attorneys issued a notice of their intention to remove the substation in three phases, citing the municipality’s continued failure to engage on the matter.

“We have not received any communication from GTM since our last meeting on July 14,” July Mathebula Attorneys said. “Despite agreeing to hold a final meeting to resolve the issue, the municipality has shown no urgency.

Out of concern for the thousands of residents affected, our client has chosen to notify the public directly.” According to the notice, disconnection of the substation is scheduled to begin seven days from the date of issue, unless GTM intervenes.

The physical dismantling of the substation is set to begin 14 days after disconnection, followed by the removal of components and power lines 10 days later.

The legal dispute dates back to March 12, 2023, when the Limpopo High Court ruled that GTM must vacate the land by April 12, 2024, and pay damages for unlawful occupation. Although settlement talks between the parties have taken place, and at one stage appeared promising, no resolution has been reached.

Last week, GTM’s legal team requested an extension until the end of this week.

However, July Mathebula Attorneys declined the extension, stating they would no longer grant further postponements.

As a result of the recent notice, GTM on Thursday, September 25 went to court on an urgent basis, for an ex parte application, essentially seeking that the court grant them an interim order to temporarily suspend the court order which Lindor Ondernemings has obtained against the municipality, pending the adjudication of a rescission application, which will be heard on the November 26.

This means the court granted the municipality its wish to put a halt on the disconnection of the substation until January.

July Mathebula Attorneys told the Herald that “since the order as stated above, was granted in our absence and it is interim in nature, we are currently in consultation, and will in due course file opposing papers to challenge the said order.”

Meanwhile the municipality issued a statement appealing to the residents to not panic about the public notice.

Herald will update readers as the story continues.