By Levy Masiteng
Residents of Emfuleni have been advised to pay their electricity bills directly to Eskom rather than through the municipality.
This directive aims to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply and sustainable service delivery, as stipulated by a court order from the Pretoria High Court issued two years ago.
The reminder follows Emfuleni Municipality’s signing of a Distribution Agency Agreement (DAA) with Eskom last October.
In terms of the agreement, Eskom has taken responsibility for the municipal power distribution infrastructure.
There is a total of 76 000 power consumers in Emfuleni who will now pay Eskom directly.
In addition, the agreement will make it impossible for Emfuleni to settle its historic debt of R5,2 billion with Eskom. The interest on the outstanding debt alone amounts to R12 million per month.
Emfuleni currently owes Eskom a total amount of R8 billion.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the directive was crucial for ensuring continuous electricity supply and sustainable service delivery.
Mokwena noted that some customers have not yet complied with the requirement.
She urged these customers to make their electricity payments directly to Eskom, using their Emfuleni account number as the payment reference.
Last year, Mokwena disclosed that the municipality’s outstanding debt had led to temporary electricity cutoffs.
The municipality’s challenges were compounded by its failure to meet the National Treasury’s debt relief program requirements.
Paying electricity bills directly to Eskom enables customers to contribute to a stable and dependable electricity supply.
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