Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Cornel Dreyer.
The Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality’s failure to pay its Eskom account of R198,000.00 for the supply of electricity to the Zeerust Truck Stop and Tapologo Restaurant & Guest House is threatening the viability of these businesses after Eskom suspended their electricity supply five days ago.
The DA yesterday wrote to Eskom to remind them, yet again, that legal precedent has been set repeatedly and that the entity cannot suspend electricity supply to consumers because of non-payment of the municipal bulk electricity account and that electricity supply should be reinstated immediately. See letter here.
We also wrote to the Ramotshere Moiloa Municipal Manager, Lekgeto Mokgheti, demanding that the municipality meet with Eskom to resolve the dispute and enter a repayment arrangement. Shortly after, the municipality made full payment. See letter here and proof of payment here.
However, Eskom is yet to resume electricity supply to both businesses.
As we saw in Lichtenburg recently, Eskom unethically suspended electricity supply despite a court order. The DA took the matter to the High Court. We succeeded in Part A of our application where Eskom agreed that it would not suspend electricity supply except for maintenance and repairs. Part B will be heard in due course where we seek relief against Eskom’s continued unlawful and unethical behaviour that abuse and punish electricity consumers for the failures of ANC-governed municipalities.
Tapologo Lodge approached the court in 2016 where a court interdict was granted preventing Eskom from suspending electricity supply in this fashion.
These court judgements are clear. Eskom cannot suspend electricity supply to the end-user because of defaulting ANC municipalities.
The DA’s High Court Application in the Lichtenburg-saga Part B will be heard in due course, and we are confident that the court will grant us relief against Eskom’s persistent unethical and unlawful behaviour in North West that continues to punish residents and businesses instead of following the correct legal processes to resolve its disputes with ANC governed municipalities.