Eskom asks the Tshwane metro to pay its bills – again
As of January 25, Tshwane was several payments behind due to its short payment and non-payments, says Eskom.
Eskom said this week that Tshwane was several payments behind and called on the metro to pay its bills as residents would face the consequences.
“We call on the metro to do right by its residents and pay the bulk electricity account to enable Eskom to continue supplying electricity to the metro,” Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi said on Wednesday.
Qithi said Tshwane’s R1.4-billion debt was worsening Eskom’s cash flow crisis.
As of January 25, Tshwane was several payments behind due to its short payment and non-payments.
“The metro short-paid its November 2022 bill of R660-million and also failed to pay its December 2022 account of R780-million.
“Tshwane’s poor payments continue to spiral out of control.”
Qithi said despite several engagements with the metro to settle its November account by December 31, the bill remained outstanding.
Eskom has since approached the Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to mediate a resolution.
She said the Public Finance Management Act required that institutions recover what is owed to them, hence Eskom sought the intervention of Cogta in the matter.
“The mediation process was in line with section 41(2) of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act 13 of 2005 in August 2022, after Eskom declared a dispute.
Eskom has previously been unsatisfied with Tshwane’s erratic payments on its bulk account.
On January 5, the power utility made the same plea to the metro to settle its long outstanding invoice of November 2022.
Eskom earlier warned that Tshwane could see the same fate as Emfuleni municipality should their debt continue being non-serviced.
Eskom said it was also closely monitoring all metro and municipality accounts and would follow a strict debt collection process should they not settle their bills on time.
The strict debt collection process recently saw Emfuleni municipality assets being attached after Eskom obtained a R1.3-billion judgment against the municipality.
#EskomGauteng#EmfuleniAssetsAttached
We are attaching the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s assets after obtaining a R1.3 billion judgement against the municipality. pic.twitter.com/7jj3W6BqqI
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) December 1, 2022
#EskomGauteng #EmfuleniAssetsAttached
Emfuleni municipality’s tipper removed from the munic’s offices. pic.twitter.com/s7MrY0GMGt
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) December 1, 2022
“Eskom is on record having communicated about other municipalities’ debt including the City of Ekurhuleni and the Emfuleni municipality. The same process will be adopted with other defaulting municipalities,” Eskom said.
The Tshwane metro has yet to respond to requests for comment.
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