New payment plan made public

Sibya said the municipality has to date paid Eskom an amount R21 516 356,06 and “continues to service both the current account and interest”.

TCLM owes Eskom more than half a billion rand. The ballpark figure for the current debt is about R676 million, but according to a reliable source this increases with about R70 million every six months.

On account of the escalating debt, Eskom has referred the case to the Supreme Court of Appeal in an attempt to overturn the ruling preventing Eskom from cutting the power to the town. Erick Khoza of Eskom’s communications department confirmed this.

Meanwhile, York Timbers, who financially funded the Sabie, Lydenburg and Graskop Chamber of Commerce and Tourism to bring an application against Eskom to interdict it from scheduling and implementing planned electricity curtailment in an effort to collect debt against TCLM, has in a letter addressed to the Sabie Chamber stated that York Timbers is no longer in a position to fund the legal costs in this matter.

“Eskom appealed the ruling and the matter is pending an appeal date in the Supreme Court of Appeal,” as per the statement.

“According to the letter the firm has, since the inception of the application and now currently at appeal stage, solely expended toward the legal costs of this case. This has amounted to R1 520 728,85 to date.

In the letter it is stated that York Timbers is cognisant and remains committed to its corporate social responsibility, but cannot extend itself to assume the role of the local municipality or to aid the community on

its own.

Sibya said the new payment plan was necessitated by the unaffordability of the initial plan agreed to in 2014.

“The plan was submitted to National and Provincial Treasury as well as to Eskom for consideration. A response is awaited.”

TCLM has, according to Sibya, settled all current debts and as such there will not be an interruption of bulk electricity supply, as previously suggested by a notice from Eskom. Both Graskop and Duma substations are up to date.

Gwylim Rees, who was the chairman of Sabie Chamber at the time of the judgement of the High Court in Pretoria, and who was one of the initiators in the process to file the case between the three chambers and Eskom, said he is aware of the letter from York Timbers.

Although he is no longer involved in the chamber, he said it is time that the communities, businesses, chambers, TCLM and mines come together to find an alternative funding resolution.

The current chairman of Sabie Chamber, Rupert Culwick, said in response to the letter that “he believes that the chambers should meet early in the new year to see if they can work out a funding method. It is very important from York’s point of view that the appeal be prevented from succeeding.”