Power utility Eskom has served a notice of intention to interrupt power supply to the City of Johannesburg and its electricity utility City Power over unpaid debt.
Eskom said both entities’ debt has mounted to R4.9 billion, excluding the current account of a further R1.4 billion, due at the end of the month.
The entity said the interruptions will be done at certain predetermined times of day in accordance with the Provision of Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA).
“Despite all the avenues that Eskom explored and efforts to accommodate the CoJ, the matter has reached a point where Eskom can simply no longer afford to accommodate the CoJ without putting further financial strain on and harming its own business.
In terms of the Constitution and the Intergovernmental Relations Framework, the CoJ is supposed to cooperate and assist Eskom with fulfilling its mandate of ensuring that citizens have access to affordable electricity.
The CoJ has breached these obligations by not paying Eskom for the bulk electricity it supplies, making it almost impossible for Eskom to fulfil its mandate,” read a statement from Eskom.
The utility said the entities failure to pay their debt, forces it to borrow additional money at premiums to fund operational costs.
“A final decision on whether Eskom will proceed with the interruption will be communicated after a review of the representations received through the PAJA process on 12 December 2024,” added the statement.
Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg has condemned Eskom’s threats, describing them as “unjust, counterproductive, and potentially harmful to the residents and businesses of Johannesburg.”
