City of Tshwane can stop Eskom disconnection in court - expert

The embattled power utility has threatened to disconnect electricity in Tshwane over an R1.6bn debt. 

Eskom says the city only paid R68 million at the end of August, which "did little to dent the massive outstanding balance on its electricity account." 

Gauteng Eskom spokesperson, Amanda Qithi says the City's failure to honour its payments places a huge burden on Eskom to continue providing it with electricity. 

But Blom says the utility needs to exhaust all options to negotiate a solution. 

"Eskom is entitled to cut off customers who are in default, however, when it comes to resellers, there seems to be a different dispensation in regard to municipalities, and the view of the courts that organs of states need to resolve their own differences. Only if that doesn't work, then Eskom can approach the court, but there needs to be proof that they tried,” he says.  

“The same remedy can be applicable to resident, if they do get cut - they can approach the courts," he adds.  

Tshwane spokesperson, Sipho Stuurman says the city remains committed to settling the full outstanding balance as fast as possible. 

"The City has its own financial challenges, as does Eskom, which is currently owed over R49 billion by municipalities across the country.  As communicated previously, due to the liquidity challenges of the City, we do not have access to reserve funds or short-term loan funding to bridge the cash deficit we are experiencing," says Stuurman

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