This, after the Mangaung Metro Municipality reached an agreement with the power utility last week following threats to interrupt power supply due to non-payment by all three the municipalities. Eskom last week issued a notice to Centlec, stating its intention to cut power supply to the three municipalities as of today, December the 3rd, should they fail to make any payment arrangements.

Eskom said Mangaung owes it more than R170 million while Mafube owes R52 million and Mantsopa R205 million. The utility’s Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg told OFM News that planned interruptions were a result of the municipalities’ failure to honour their payment conditions and a means to reduce their escalating debt. Municipalities in the province collectively owe the power utility over R9.8 billion, making the Free State a province with the highest Eskom debt countrywide. Jansen van Rensburg meanwhile confirmed should the municipalities again “fail to adhere to the terms and conditions of the payment agreement, Eskom will issue a 48-hour notice to interrupt supply”.

Web: Following the power interruption notice last week, OFM News reported that the DA had called on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to intervene. The party’s shadow minister of Cogta, Cilliers Brink, said Dlamini-Zuma could not stand by and watch as Mangaung collapses.

The party maintains more needs to be done to address the dire financial state of municipalities in the province and ensure that they adhere to their Eskom agreements.

OFM News