Johannesburg – The Free State arm of the South African
National Civic Organisation (SANCO) is calling on Eskom to suspend the decision
to cut the electricity supply to municipalities in the province.
The organisation argues there are other ways to go about
recuperating the money other than switching off power.
“Eskom should note that basic services such as water and
electricity are essential to our communities and institutions such as clinics
and hospitals [which] will suffer due to this decision.”
SANCO’s statement follows a January 5 decision by the North
Gauteng High Court to dismiss, with costs, AfriForum's application to prevent
Eskom from cutting off power of more than 7 municipalities who are billions of
rand in arrears.
AfriForum and AfriBusiness sought to interdict Eskom's
planned reduction of the supply of electricity to the defaulting municipalities
in the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape provinces. Eskom
said the amount owed had risen to R10.2 billion, which had grown over the past
eight months from R6 billion.
In the last five years, the overdue debt had increased
tenfold, with the March 2017 forecast being in excess of R12 billion.
Read also: Eskom
will cut off defaulting municipalities
In a statement after the ruling, Eskom said that in
making his ruling, Judge Hans Fabricius had said that it was necessary to
appreciate the context in which Eskom operated in the national economy, seen
against the background of its Constitutional rights and obligations.
According to Eskom, Fabricius also acknowledged that
Eskom had consulted all the municipalities and relevant stakeholders
extensively since 2011.
However, SANCO says it is government’s moral duty, as
enshrined in the Constitution, to ensure that everyone has access to the basic
services they need to improve their lives.
“SANCO notes that even those communities who pay
electricity will be affected. Sanco calls on residents who are in arrears to pay
their services and those who are unemployed to visit municipal offices for the
indegency register.”
SANCO adds cutting off electricity will not only affect people,
but also the economy and jobs.
“The decision will further add to negative investor
confidence in the province.
“If companies are not getting electricity they will not
pay other taxes and it will result to increase of high unemployment rate which
this country is facing.”
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