Eskom has suspended power interruptions at Masilonyana Local Municipality in the Free State after being given an assurance that its electricity debt will be paid.
Eskom had on Wednesday morning interrupted power supply to the municipality for three hours as a result of its failure to honour its payment obligations. Brandfort‚ Theunissen‚ Verkeerdevlei and Winburg were affected.
The municipality owes Eskom R39.8m and is one of numerous municipalities which‚ collectively‚ owe Eskom R16bn for electricity.
Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said on Thursday that the power utility was given assurances by the municipality that payment would be forthcoming soon.
“There is information that has been given by the municipality which has given us comfort … The plan on the table is going to be workable‚” Phasiwe said.
Eskom is planning to interrupt power supply to other indebted municipalities‚ including inXuba yeThemba Municipality (Cradock and Middelburg)‚ Dr Beyers Naude and the Great Kei municipalities in the Eastern Cape‚ on October 30.
Mkhondo Municipality in Mpumalanga‚ which covers Piet Retief and Amsterdam‚ faces power cuts on October 24 if no payment arrangements are made with Eskom.
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