Eskom threatens to flip light switch on Musina

Date: 01 July 2018 By: Andries van Zyl

Despite Musina Mayor Mihloti Muhlope’s reassurance that the municipality is doing everything in its power to avert Eskom’s threats to cut the town’s electricity supply due to its outstanding debt, Eskom announced this week that they had decided to go ahead and cut the power.

As recently as last Friday, while delivering her annual budget speech (see previous article), Muhlope said that Eskom’s threat was of great concern to them. She made it clear once again that they could only succeed in repaying Eskom if they continued to enforce cost-cutting measures. “Unnecessary travelling, avoidable overtime, worthless workshops and futile expenditure must all stop. Any fruitless expenditure must be recovered from the responsible officials,” she said.

Eskom first announced that they were going to cut the electricity supply to the Musina Municipality in May this year. This, Eskom explained, was due to the fact that the Musina Municipality owed Eskom an outstanding amount of R72 736 380 for bulk electricity at that stage. “Musina Municipality is in breach of its payment obligation to Eskom, which undermines and places in jeopardy Eskom’s ability to continue the national supply of electricity on a financially sustainable basis,” said Eskom at the time. The embattled Eskom then gave Musina Municipality until 6 July this year to improve on their debt situation, warning that should this not happen, they would cut the power supply. Eskom also invited members of the public to submit motivations as to why they should not switch off the lights. At the time, the Musina Municipality reacted by means of their municipal spokesperson, Mr Wilson Dzebu, by stating that they would do everything in their power to keep the lights on and urged the public to keep their accounts up to date.

Eskom, however, placed an advertisement in this week’s Zoutpansberger, announcing their final decision to cut the power. In the advertisement, Eskom states that as indicated in the notice published on 18 May 2018, they had carefully considered all written representations, comments and submissions received which, among others, detailed the negative effect the contemplated interruption was likely to have on residents and business, the fact that some customers were paying customer in the municipal area and many other representations. “After careful consideration of all the representations and the overall impact of the escalating municipal debt, Eskom has taken a decision to proceed with the contemplated interruption and/or disconnection of bulk electricity supply to Musina Local Municipality,” states Eskom.

Eskom then adds: “Eskom hereby notifies all parties who are likely to be materially and adversely affected that the contemplated interruption of bulk supply to Musina Local Municipality will commence on 6 July 2018.”

The contemplated interruptions will result in temporary scheduled disconnection at certain times. During the first week after 6 July, the electricity supply to the Musina Municipality will be cut from 06:00 until 09:00 and again from 17:00 to 20:30 from Monday to Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the power supply will be interrupted from 08:30 to 12:00 and again from 15:00 until 19:00. This might sound bad for residents, but as from the second week, the electricity cuts will be even worse. From Mondays to Sundays, the electricity supply will be cut daily for a period of 14 hours from 06:00 until 20:00. “Eskom advises all parties who are likely to be materially and adversely affected by the contemplated interruption of bulk electricity supply to Musina Local Municipality to take all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of lives and to limit damages to their equipment, operations and business,” states Eskom. They add that, notwithstanding the above proposed interruption time, Eskom may, upon 15 calendar days’ notice, disconnect the electricity entirely and indefinitely, should the electricity debt situation not improve.

At the time of our going to press, the Musina Municipality had yet to respond to Eskom’s latest announcement.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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