By Anna Cox
Half of the R1,3-billion in arrears owed by the public to Eskom could be written off following an agreement between the power supplier and the government, Eskom's executive director of distribution, Jacob Maroga, said on Sunday.
But he warned that consumers would benefit only if they normalised payments and if they met the conditions of the groundbreaking service agreement, otherwise the debt would have to be paid in full.
Although the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) welcomed the move, representatives of Soweto residents, who have arrears totalling R922-million, rejected the deal and threatened to intensify their boycott.
Maroga said the 50 percent intended to be written off would be placed in a suspense account pending the success of the agreement.
Eskom had undertaken in return to repair and check meters; offer residents the chance to negotiate individually on the balance of 50 percent they would still owe; and allow disconnected residents to reconnect, for the month of December only, for R50 instead of R200.
An exception is being made in the case of pensioners and the disabled, who have to pay only R25 to be reconnected.
However, residents who accepted the offer, including pensioners and the disabled, would then have to start paying their accounts regularly, said Maroga.
"If the group which is boycotting payments and illegally reconnecting consumers insists on continuing with its illegal action, the law will take its course," he added.
Sanco said the deal was a breakthrough and would have wide implications for consumers, as the model would be sought by local authorities who also supplied electricity to consumers.
Siphiwe Thusi, Sanco's Gauteng provincial general secretary, said Eskom's move was the start of a process, and that a committee had been formed by Sanco to monitor the agreement; to check meters and accounts; and to call for flat rates for pensioners, the disabled, churches, creches and clinics.
- Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe on Friday promised that the government would intensify its hunt for people responsible for vandalising Eskom property and reconnecting electricity illegally.
He was referring to the Soweto electricity crisis committee, which has, for the past months, set about reconnecting consumers who've been cut off.
The committee shrugged off the agreement, saying a similar proposal was rejected three years ago. It has threatened to intensify its boycott of bills if the agreement goes ahead.