The Madibeng municipality said on Wednesday it does not have the money to pay its Eskom debt of R138 million.

Eskom plans to interrupt the electricity supply to Madibeng on 3 July if the debt is not paid in full.
“Eskom is not entertaining any payment arrangement from the municipality except for the debt to be paid in full. Unfortunately the municipality does not have the kind of money at the moment. Our revenue collection is very low. So, we appeal to consumers to play their part in making the necessary payments to enable the municipality to service bulk accounts like Eskom,” municipal spokesperson Tumelo Tshabalala said..

The municipality said it is looking at various options to raise the money. The main option is to have consumers pay their bills. “Given the current situation we cannot guarantee meeting the Eskom payment deadline.”

Tshabalala said that the municipality is currently engaged in a legal dispute with four members of the Brits Industrial Association that have for years refused to pay the municipality the correct electricity tariff. “To date these consumers owe the municipality in excess of R200 million.”

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