Four Northern Cape municipalities secure R354m Eskom debt relief

By Levy Masiteng 

Four municipalities in the Northern Cape have qualified for more than R354 million in Eskom debt relief after meeting the requirements of the Municipal Debt Relief Programme, the Provincial Treasury confirmed.

“Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, which owed Eskom R744 million as of March 2023, will have R248 million written off,” said Kgalalelo Matsime, media liaison officer for the Northern Cape provincial government.

She added that Umsobomvu Local Municipality, which owed R7.7 million, will see R2.5 million of its debt relieved. Ubuntu Local Municipality, with a debt of R89 million, will have R29 million written off, while Siyancuma Local Municipality, which owed R227 million, will be relieved of R75 million.

According to Matsime, the municipalities qualified for the relief by meeting 86% of the programme’s conditions. These included cutting unnecessary expenditure and ensuring monthly Eskom accounts were paid on time.

The Municipal Debt Relief Programme, introduced in February 2023, is