Will the lights go out?

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 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 by R188 million.

The notice stated that TCLM is in breach of its payment obligations to Eskom. “It undermines and places in jeopardy Eskom’s ability to exercise its right to disconnect the supply of electricity to Thaba Chweu.

“Eskom recognises that the indefinite disconnection of electricity supply may cause undue hardship to consumers and members of the community and may adversely affect the delivery of other services. In view of this, Eskom is contemplating a regulated interruption of electricity supply as opposed to an outright disconnection. The contemplated interruption will allow members of the community and consumers the opportunity to make alternative arrangements for the scheduled periods of interruption.”

This poses a grave concern, as the High Court ruled in January that Eskom may cut off power supply to municipalities as a means to recover outstanding debt. These measures will be implemented 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.

The newspaper sent through queries regarding a plan of action to TCLM. The newspaper wanted to know if and how the municipality will address the issue at hand and how it will be prevented. TCLM responded to the Eskom issue and said that it is in constant negotiations with the power utility.

“We are doing our utmost best to keep up with our payment plan. Due to the winter our monthly bill escalated. As a result we defaulted to honour the payment plan as agreed by Eskom and the municipality. We, however, want to assure community members that TCLM is doing its best to avoid the interruption of bulk electricity and encourage members of the public to pay their bills consistently and keep their bill up to date.

“We warn those who are connecting illegally to refrain as their illegal activities affect the rest of the residents.” TCLM said that it humbly pleads with the community to rise and be counted among those contributing towards eradicating the challenge of the Eskom bill.

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. The default has resulted in the amount escalating. Power supply interruption notices issued by Eskom are real and issued in terms of Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (Paja) 2000. Eskom will proceed with the supply interruption as per the adverts, in cases in which there is no acceptable payment from the municipality.”