No power to the people: The plan to collect what municipalities owe

It's estimated that various municipalities around South Africa owe Eskom an amount exceeding R110 billion.

Eskom has now initiated a public consultation process on its intention to interrupt electricity supply, in order to address this escalating municipal debt.

Eskom acting Group Executive Distribution, Agnes Mlambo, says 14 municipalities are involved in this latest move.

"We still have the debt relief programme that is run by national treasury, and unfortunately even with that intervention, we have seen that the debt is growing, and we've got municipalities that have not complied with the conditions."

Mlambo explains that only 11 of the 71 municipalities in the programme are complying, so they are now looking at other methods to recover what is owed to them.

She also emphasises that the planned interruption is not a total switch off.

"It will come in in stages, very similar to loadshedding... so initially we will cut off for a number of hours in a day, and we'll progressively increase the duration of us switching off. But ultimately, we need the municipality to pay us."

Mlambo says she is aware that some residents are paying their bills, but that money is not finding its way to the power utility.

"One of the things that the customers may have to do is to prove that level of payment that they're making to the municipality."

Mlambo says this "last resort" move is aimed at municipalities that have not paid for at least 18 months.

"It is not our intent to switch off the customers, however we cannot continue to provide reliable electricity while we are not being paid."

South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Portfolio Head for Energy and Electricity Distribution, Nhlanhla Ngidi, has responded to the proposed public consultation process, saying the issues involved are quite complex.

"All the colleagues in those municipalities have been trying very hard, finding out some of the biggest challenges they have – especially around payment levels, vandalism, customers bypassing... that has been the biggest issue."

Ngidi says the plan to cut power supply is worrying, and they have advised against it.

"This might cause social instability."

To listen to Agnes Mlambo and Nhlanhla Ngidi in conversation with CapeTalk and 702’s Mandy Wiener, use the audio players below: