Johannesburg – Eskom’s threat to cut off electricity to Johannesburg city over outstanding debts has been averted after City Power agreed to pay the current account.
In a statement issued after a high-level meeting on Monday, (11 November 2024), with Mayor Dada Morero, Electricity, and Energy Minister Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced that a resolution had been found to the debt dispute and public notice issued by Eskom last week.
The minister said the agreement reached by all parties was underpinned by four principles:
- 1. The respect for inter-governmental framework characterised by an honest and concerted effort to exhaust all internal process.
- 2. The User Pay Principle where in the event of a dispute the user is still obligated to pay whilst a resolution process is underway, decoupling the obligation to pay from a billing query.
- 3. The service provider has an obligation to ensure accurate billing
- 4. An appreciation that there can be no unilateral implementation of an action or more than one version of what the facts are.
“The first resolution is on the appointment of independent technical capacity to evaluate and validate the credibility of the bill levied by Eskom to City Power,” explained the minister.
“In this regard, both parties have agreed that The South African Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) will undertake this process.
“The second resolution is on a 14-day turnaround timeframe for the assessment report to be presented to all parties, the set date being 25 November 2024.
“The third resolution is that City Power will pay the current account in order for the notice of intention to interrupt power supply to the City of Johannesburg, issued by Eskom, to be withdrawn.
“Lastly, is the agreement on the importance of the Minister and the Executive Mayor to assure business and households that there is no crisis.”
The minister and the mayor further expressed their appreciation of the willingness to work together to ensure the uninterrupted provision of services to the country’s economic nerve centre and its residents.
