Johannesburg - State-owned power utility Eskom has unfairly cut off supply to some residents of Soweto township who are up to date with their bill payments, Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has said.
In a statement on Sunday, Mashaba said he would visit the six affected families in the Soweto areas of Braamfischer and Orlando plunged into darkness after Eskom cut off electricity to large areas of the township, to highlight their plight and demand an immediate resolution on their behalf.
"The families have been without electricity for up to two weeks after Eskom cut off power to their homes as part of credit management processes," he said.
"Eskom insists that Soweto residents owe it about R18 billion. However, through correspondence with the office of the executive mayor, the families have been able to prove that their Eskom accounts are fully paid up."
"Despite this, these innocent families now live in darkness because the power utility has lumped them together with residents who have not paid their Eskom accounts, some for a number of years," he added.