Eskom confirms power cut is a real threat
According to Eric Khoza, of Eskom's Mpumalanga Operating Unit and Corporate Affairs, the threat of disconnection is real.
LYDENBURG – It would seem that Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) is again facing the threat of its bulk electricity being disconnected for owing Eskom almost R400 million.
Another notice, the second this year, has been issued in which residents and businesses are warned that the electricity supply to Lydenburg, Sabie and Mashishing will be cut indefinitely unless payment is made or an agreement is reached.
In January Eskom issued the same warning. TCLM then owed Eskom more than R355 million – part of which has been outstanding and in escalation since September 2002. The municipality is currently in debt for R384 million. In the past three years, TCLM has regularly been threatened with disconnection by the energy giant. In 2014 the municipality owed the electricity provider R196 million. It has since increased with R188 million.
These measures will be implemented from 9 October from Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 08:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. On weekends electricity will be cut from 08:30 to 11:00 and 15:00 to 17:30.
According to Eric Khoza, of Eskom’s Mpumalanga Operating Unit and Corporate Affairs, the threat of disconnection is real. “Eskom is in the process of placing newspaper adverts notifying affected stakeholders of planned power supply interruption to the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality in Mpumalanga due to non-adherence to a payment arrangement.”
Read the full article in Friday’s paper.
