KAROO NEWS - Eskom announced last Wednesday, 20 March, that due to the failure of the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality to honour its debt repayment schedule, three major towns in the municipality will be subject to planned power supply interruptions from 11 April.
There was great consternation in Graaff-Reinet later in the week, as many residents read an article in a daily newspaper about this - however that article omitted the section of the Eskom advertisement that stated which towns would be affected.
Thankfully, Graaff-Reinet and Aberdeen are not included.
This is because of an agreement between the municipality and Eskom to use the infrastructure of Graaff-Reinet and Aberdeen to supply Eskom areas in those towns - i.e. the customers who buy their power directly from Eskom.
Residents in Jansenville, Willowmore, and Steytlerville, however, face a bleak winter, as these interruptions could see power cut to these municipalities for 14 hours a day, as well, presumably, for possible load shedding.
During the first week, the power will be off from Monday to Friday from 06:00 - 09:00 and from 17:00 - 20:30.
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no power from 08:30 - 12:00 and again from 15:00 - 19:00.
Residents of Jansenville face a bleak winter, as these interruptions could see power cut to this town for 14 hours a day, as well, presumably, for possible load shedding.
These interruptions will already cause serious disruption, but after the first week, consumers will be without electricity for 14 hours a day, from 06:00 - 20:00. Eskom also states in the notice that the 14-hour supply interruption will continue until full payment is received, or a payment agreement is reached.
Originally, these planned interruptions were due to start last October, as the municipality had not reached a payment agreement with Eskom to cover the vast debt, but at the last minute, the Municipality made arrangements to start paying off the outstanding debt.
In a press release at the time, it was stated that "Should Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality deviate from the agreement, Eskom reserves the right to resume with the electricity supply interruptions after issuing a 14-day notice."
That notice has now been given, as the municipality "has not remedied the breach of payment agreement as per suspension notices issued on 29 October 2018."
Eskom spokesperson Zama Mpondwana stated that this process is guided by the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) (Act 3 of 2000).
He emphasized that Eskom regards the implementation of bulk electricity supply interruptions to any municipality as a last resort after all other measures have failed.
The debt to Eskom was R84m at the end of January, and residents have many questions as to what has happened to the money paid to the municipality, in good faith, for electricity.
The DA proposal that electricity income be ringfenced to pay Eskom was rejected by the management of DBNLM - if this were to be implemented, there would at least be some reduction in the money owing. In a response, Wilca Smith, Acting Communications Officer for the DBNLM, said that it was noted that Eskom will be reinstating the bulk electricity supply interruptions to Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality.
"According to this notice the action is as a result of the persistent breach of the payment agreement as per the suspension notice issued on the 29 October 2018," said Smith.
"Although Eskom has prepared an agreement, signed by the municipality, Eskom did not sign. Technically, there is thus no agreement in place.
The municipality has appointed a consultant to investigate the current rates that Eskom is charging us as well as the wheeling agreement. The report should be available by 27 March 2019".
The response concluded by stating that the municipality, after consideration of the report, will engage Eskom to open further negotiations and that they believe that everything possible will be done to prevent the planned interruptions.
"The municipality is committed to ensure that no interruption of electricity supply will be instituted," said Smith, with a promise that the community will be kept updated as the negotiations unfold.
Eskom announced recently that, due to the failure of the Dr. Beyers Naudé Local Municipality to honour its debt repayment schedule, three major towns in the municipality - which includes Willowmore - will be subject to planned power supply interruptions from 11 April.
Meanwhile, the DA's Vicky Knoetze, MPL and Shadow Minister for both Public Works and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has become involved and has written to both MEC Fikile Xasa and Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe to express her concern, asking for Eskom to reconsider their decision.
"This matter is of great concern to residents, local businesses, the tourism industry and society's most vulnerable," said Knoetze.
"It will have a negative effect on the economy in this already severely cash-strapped municipality" The statement went on to state the unfairness of punishing the residents of this municipality for the failures of the administration to pay Eskom and allowing the debt owed to Eskom to run into millions. Knoetze also requested a copy of the suspension agreement between Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality and Eskom.
According to Ewald Loock, Chairperson of the Budget and Treasury Portfolio in the DBNLM, the main problem is that the municipality and Eskom cannot reach an agreement on the outstanding debt of the municipality.
"The absence of an agreement is, in fact, a risk for the future electricity supply to all towns in the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality," said Loock. "The situation is not helped by the fact that the municipality did not pay Eskom even one cent in January," he added. The question remains, as to where the money paid by consumers, for power, has gone.
'We bring you the latest Karoo news'
