Hartbeespoort residents are waiting with bated breath to see if the City of Tshwane (CoT) will cut the electricity supply to Hartbeespoort following its refusal last week to accept the Madibeng Municipality’s proposal to pay off its R129 million arrears debt.
CoT confirmed last week that the electricity supply to Hartbeespoort will be disconnected if the Madibeng Municipality does not pay up its total R129 million account.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said that CoT received a payment proposal from Madibeng Municipality, which includes a settlement plan for the outstanding arrears account by March 2025. “However, the arrangement was not considered by the CoT since it is not favourable to CoT’s financial state,” he said.
Madibeng Municipality said on Wednesday that the matter is receiving urgent attention. “Whilst the municipality remains committed to servicing its creditors for bulk services supply, it is equally important to make payment based on accurate billing thus eliminating any possible wasteful expenditure.
The Municipality has on numerous occasions engaged the City on inaccurate and inconsistent billing for bulk services rendered (water and electricity). Discussions with the City have thus far not yielded any positive results and the Municipality has taken the legal route to resolve the matter. “We are confident that the legal process will unfold fairly and the matter resolved soon to avoid any interruption of services,” said Madibeng mayor, Douglas Maimane.” He said the municipality is in the process of acquiring these services directly from the main bulk suppliers, Eskom and Rand Water, eliminating any intermediaries
CoT supplies Madibeng with electricity in some parts of Hartbeespoort, and water in Mmakau, Itsoseng, Kgabalatsane, Hebron and Klipgat.
The electricity supply to the Rietfontein Waste Water Treatment Plant was already disconnected on 25 October because Madibeng Municipality failed to pay its R2.5 million arrears account. The plant is currently using a generator rented at an exorbitant cost.