Mpumalanga: Emalahleni municipality engaging with Eskom to try and negotiate an affordable payment plan

Electricity to Rietspruit and Vosman in Witbank has been restored after Residents from both the suburbs were up in arms about the recent electricity cut-offs, Witbank News reports.

On Thursday, November 21 Vosman SAPS and National Public Order Policing (POPS) had to restore order on the N4 when residents were throwing stones at passing vehicles and burning tyres in the roads to show their anger.

Emalahleni Local Municipality lost patience with the two suburbs because of poor payment history and started with a bulk cut off of electricity.

Hlalanikahle followed suit and is currently still without electricity.

Municipal spokesperson, Mr Lebo Mofokeng said residents of Rietspruit and Vosman met with the municipality and an agreement was reached whereby they undertake to pay their accounts.

“If they fail, the municipality will switch them off again,” Mofokeng warned.

He said an improvement in the payment rate is already noticeable.

The municipality now owes Eskom approximately R3.4 billion and the utility giant wants its money.

On October 31 a letter was served on the municipal manager, Mr Sizwe Maisela wherein Eskom threatened to flick the switch to certain areas within the municipality if R397 372 965.12 is not paid within 14 days.

That has been put on hold by Eskom pending on the municipality honouring their agreement with the utility giant.

The municipality is engaging with Eskom to try and negotiate an affordable payment plan as set out in the Special Adjustment Budget.

“The termination of the electricity supply will hurt residents and businesses within the municipal borders. The impact will have a detrimental effect on businesses, as most of them are electricity-intensive. This will also have a direct impact on the economy of Emalahleni which is already under severe pressure, and there will be more job losses as some business will opt to close down,” said Mofokeng.

He listed three factors that caused the municipality to miss payments to Eskom; a low payment rate by residents and businesses, low municipal electricity billing when compared with Eskom billing and distribution losses which can be mainly attributed to the illegal connection of electricity.

In the worst scenario, if residents are not responding to the call the municipality has an option available at its disposal to approach the High Court of South Africa, sitting in Middelburg for a relief in the form of a prohibitory interdict against Eskom on an urgent basis in terms of the Uniform Rules of the High Court.