The euphoria was short-lived.
Eskom has turned the tables by deciding to appeal a Supreme Court ruling about Standerton’s electricity situation.
The court in Bloemfontein ruled in favour of the Lekwa Ratepayers Association (LRPA) in the quest to have the notified maximum demand (NMD) of 55 lifted.
Lekwa Municipality introduced internal load-shedding when the demand exceeded Eskom’s regulation.
Eskom is intent on approaching the Constitutional Court, the highest authority, for the right to appeal.
The date is scheduled for May.
The LRPA voiced their frustration about the developments, saying they have won both the original, as well as Supreme Court case over the past two years.
A Constitutional Court verdict is final.
The Standerton Advertiser published in a January edition the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling and the relief and joy of the association were shared on their Facebook-page.
The LRPA positioned themselves two years ago, in the winter, to go the legal route, with Vaal Business Forum, the vehicle for litigation, being established early last year.
Lekwa owes Eskom an amount of money, running into a billion plus.
André de Ruyter, CEO of Eskom, has been quoted as saying the utility has been up against rising municipal debt for years.
Eskom holds the municipality accountable for not honouring the repayment agreement and interest compounds the figure.
The LRPA then indicated their open door to the new, political dispensation at the municipality.
Lack of engagement in the past about a repayment agreement was considered crucial.
The newspaper carried an article in November last year, quoting the administrator, Johann Mettler, who said the biggest problem in the municipality relates to availability of reliable electricity daily and energy security in the long term.
Mettler indicated in the past that fruitful engagements were held with Eskom regarding an increase in the NMD.
The Standerton Advertiser contacted the communications manager of Lekwa, Thobeka Mtshiselwa, via WhatsApp, on November 11 last year, enquiring about the exact amount owed to the power utility.
No reply was forthcoming and another attempt was made on Wednesday, March 23 to find out what the debt stands at.
No reply was received at the time of going to press.
The newspaper also contacted the chairman of the forum, Gary van Aswegen, via WhatsApp, the past week for comment on the road ahead.
Van Aswegen said they did not expect the turn of events and that Eskom is either playing for time, or taking a wild shot.
“In a nutshell, it means that should Eskom succeed in the right to appeal, the case will only be heard towards the end of the year,” he also said.
The Standerton Advertiser contacted the Tutuka-office on Thursday, March 24 for contact details of the relevant department.
An email was sent the same day in which the situation was briefly outlined and comment requested.
Several attempts have been made as well to schedule a meeting with the mayor, Louis Delani Thabethe.
