Over a five-year period, inaccurate billing systems and the resultant poor revenue generation by Mpumalanga municipalities has resulted in an escalating Eskom debt.
This was the considered opinion of Mr James Masango, DA spokesman on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) .
According to a press release, Premier Refilwe Mtshweni and the provincial government must find lasting solutions for this ongoing crisis.
Mr Masango said the provincial debt owed to Eskom is currently more than R3-billion.
A breakdown of the debt puts the Lekwa Municipality at R435-million and at the seventh council meeting on 11 May, background was given on a payment arrangement of R213-million for bulk purchases of electricity.
The Eskom report admits to Lekwa defaulting on signed payments since 2011.
According to Mr Rosier de Ville, caucus leader of the DA, no payment agreement was presented to councillors.
“We are kept in the dark,” Mr De Ville said.
The party will write to CoGTA MEC, Mr Speedy Mashilo and Premier Mtshweni asking them:
• to find lasting solutions to power cuts and interruptions
• to consider placing poor performing municipalities under financial administration.
“The lives of the people of Mpumalanga are severely affected by poor management and incompetence,” Mr Masango concluded.
“It is especially the poor that suffers most.”
The Standerton Advertiser sent an e-mail to Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, communications manager of the municipality, on 17 May regarding the amount owed to Eskom, but no response was received at the time of going to press.
