ESKOM TO DISCONNECT TCM

LYDENBURG – With an outstanding account of R146 million, Eskom has now served Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) with a notice of disconnection of bulk electricity supply.

Issued in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000, (Act 3 of 2000), this notice was sent to the municipality last Wednesday (see page 30).

TCM now has to supply the service provider with written comments indicating why Eskom should not proceed with the proposed disconnection

by October 11. “TCM has not settled its electricity account on the due dates. The total outstanding amount for the bulk supply of electricity is R146 638 459, a part of which has been outstanding for more than 90 days,” the notice states.

In June this year, the amount owed to Eskom was R104 million. Shockingly, since then, it has increased drastically, escalating to over R146 million.

The DA said while it welcomed the invitation for submissions, it believed that the responsibility lay with municipal manager (MM) Mr Surprise Maebele and cooperative governance MEC Mr Simon Skhosana, as the buck ultimately stops with them.

“Without electricity, water pumps will stop working, sewerage networks won’t operate, and every hospital, clinic, home and business will be left in the dark.”

The DA said this amount had been outstanding for months on end, and it could find no justification in residents suffering at the expense of the municipality’s incompetence. It believes that Eskom should realign its supply policy, bypass defaulting municipalities and deal with consumers directly.

“Thaba Chweu’s inability to pay Eskom has been rumoured for months, yet, for some inexplicable reason MEC Skhosana and the provincial government continue with their kid-glove approach and refuse to acknowledge the governance crisis in the municipality, nor intervening in terms of Section 139(1)(b) or (c) of the Constitution.”

After several queries were sent to TCM, it replied to the crisis in not more than four sentences, stating, “The municipality is in continuous engagement with Eskom regarding the debt.

“Eskom is better placed to respond to the cut-off. TCM will not speak on its behalf.”

This newspaper has contacted Eskom with regard to the notice served to the municipality. The service provider confirmed that the notice is legitimate and that it would like to get the views and feelings of the municipalities’ customers before it goes ahead with the planned disconnection.