Municipality sheds light on the power outages

LYDENBURG – The situation with regards to the Eskom disconnections have been explained in detail by Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM).

According to the MMC for finance, Cllr Markus Mashego, five substations supply the town with electricity. Two of the five, Lydenburg and Mashishing, are being disconnected for owing Eskom millions of rand.

“These five substations serve different blocks within the town. A part of Mashishing, including Kellysville, New Stand, Majubani, Skhila, Mosterdhoek and Potloodspruit, is connected to the Industrial Substation. This substation is up to date with its payments and therefore will not be disconnected.

“It is just a small portion of Mashishing that falls under the Industrial point. The same applies to Rooidraai and Sterkspruit substations. The consumption in these areas is not as high and they did not owe Eskom money at the time the notice was issued.”

Mashego said the public should realise that a portion of Mashishing falls under Industrial Substation. The rest of Mashishing is serviced by Hostel Substation, which is in debt to Eskom, hence it is also being affected by the power cuts. “This is where the confusion comes in regarding the fact that certain areas are not being affected. By explaining how the substations connect to the blocks we hope to shed some light on those areas being affected.”

Mashego said less than 70 per cent of those connected to Lydenburg Substation and less than 60 per cent of those on the Mashishing Substation buy electricity. “We all can be on prepaid electricity, but if 60 per cent is not buying, where is that money going? Eskom, for example, supplies us with electricity to the sum of R15 million which we have to sell and repay. TCLM sells, the vending points sell and people obviously buy. At the end of the day, out of the R15 million allocated to the municipality from Eskom, TCLM only collects R7 million. Where is the other R8 million? This is what we call a distribution loss.

“This loss is on account of breached meters and illegal connections. They don’t buy, but they have electricity supply. “The Eskom notice of the bulk electricity disconnection created confusion. If you read the notice carefully you will see that it states that TCLM towns and/or points of supply will be affected. These points refer to the substations that will be disconnected and not the entire town.” The whole of Sabie town, however, is being disconnected.

Sabie owes about R122 million for electricity. Lydenburg and Mashishing owe R263 million and that makes up the bulk debt of the Eskom account.