No Private Deal With Harrismith Businesses Says Eskom

Riyaz Patel

Eskom has denied that it will supply businesses in Harrismith directly with power as part of a new agreement.

The Rapport newspaper reported Sunday that the Harrismith Business Forum signed a contract with the utility to deliver power directly to the town’s 100 biggest power users.

Eskom said in a statement Tuesday that this is not the case, but will, in an unusual step however, directly collect payments from the businesses.

“No agreement was concluded with the Harrismith Business Chamber in isolation and Eskom did not side-line or bypass the Municipality in this process. In fact, the 100 customers will still be supplied by the Municipality.”

Municipalities collect electricity payments and are supposed to pay it to Eskom.

The Maluti-a-Phofung municipality in the Free State owes Eskom more than R4bn in unpaid electricity bills – the biggest outstanding municipal power account in the country.

The municipality has a