Electricity cuts to hit Queenstown and four other Eastern Cape towns

Eskom has announced that it will be interrupting power supply to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality from Thursday amid the municipality's mounting electricity debt.

The power utility said Queenstown‚ Tarkastad‚ Hofmeyr‚ Molteno and Sterkstroom would be among the towns affected.

“Both parties failed to reach an agreement on a plan to settle the debt‚” Eskom said.

Last week‚ the Daily Dispatch reported that Mayor Sisisi Tolashe had told councillors at a special council meeting that the municipality had paid R12-million to Eskom after the power utility had demanded an extra R4-million in order to consider their payment plan.

Zama Mpondwana‚ Eskom's Eastern Cape spokesman‚ said the power utility would proceed with the contemplated interruption of bulk electricity supply from Thursday and would continue to do so indefinitely. He said electricity would be cut during the week from 6am to 9am and again at 5pm to 8.30pm in the first week. On Saturday and Sunday‚ electricity is expected be cut from 8.30am to noon and 3pm to 7pm.

“From the second week onwards‚ electricity will be cut from 8am to 8pm during the week and on 6am to 8pm during the weekend‚” he said.

Mpondwana said if no payment is made or no agreement is reached by May 7‚ Eskom would increase the daily power interruptions.