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Big power cut for three FS municipalities: Eskom

───   09:06 Thu, 02 Oct 2014

Big power cut for three FS municipalities: Eskom | News Article

Bloemfontein - Eskom announced that bulk electricity supply to these municipalities in the Free State will be disconnected on Friday, 3 October 2014 at midday.

The municipalities are Maluti-a-Phofung, Ngwathe and Dihlabeng in the Free State.
 
In addition, Eskom has commenced the due process in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 to disconnect the supply of electricity to the Matjhabeng Municipality, also in the Free State.
 
The three municipalities have defaulted or short-paid on their current account for a prolonged period and therefore have substantial arrear debt which has escalated from R550 million as at 31 July 2014 and is currently totalling R736 million as at 30 September 2014.
 
Commercial and residential customers are advised to make the necessary preparations to limit the impact. Critical loads, e.g. hospitals, are advised to make arrangements to limit the impact of the disconnections.  People who have medical problems but are based at home like those utilising life support equipment should please arrange with family or friends who do not make use of electricity supplied by the municipality.  
 
In May, Eskom placed disconnection notices in local newspapers after Dihlabeng, Maluti-a-Phofung and Ngwathe municipalities failed to pay their electricity accounts for more than 90 days.  
 
In July, Eskom placed notices confirming its decision to go ahead with the disconnections on 4 August.  On 31 July, after an intervention by the Minister of Cooperative Governance, a decision was reached to suspend disconnections and give the defaulting municipalities 30 days to present payment plans to Eskom.  The disconnection notices, however, remained in effect.
 
After the 30 days expired, Eskom had still not received acceptable payment plans. The municipalities were then given another month to come up with realistic payment plans, with a deadline of 30 September.  However, the municipalities again did not submit satisfactory payment plans and no sufficient payments have been made over the past two months.  
Electricity will only be reconnected once satisfactory payment plans or payments have been received.  Eskom only uses the disconnection of electricity supply as a measure of last resort.  This would be after engaging in dialogue and mediation with the municipalities and other local and national governmental stakeholders to agree on acceptable settlement options. However, if this fails Eskom will resort to power disconnection.
 

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