Central SA
Emfuleni municipality successfully pays Eskom’s current account in full─── ZENANDE MPAME 11:33 Wed, 02 Apr 2025
The partnership between Eskom and the Emfuleni Municipality in the Vaal Triangle is bearing fruit. For the first time in months, the municipality was able to pay its electricity current account in full to the power supplier.
On Tuesday the power utility sent out a statement announcing the milestone in the municipality’s electricity management.
The municipality and Eskom entered into a Distribution Agency Agreement, where customers or residents were to pay their accounts directly to the power utility starting in March. “This achievement marks a turning point for Emfuleni Local Municipality, which has historically faced challenges in honouring its electricity accounts,” said the power utility. 
A reminder to residents to pay their accounts to Eskom. Photo: Supplied
“The partnership between Eskom and the municipality has yielded positive results not only for Eskom but for the municipality and its customers as well. This success also serves as an example for other municipalities working with Eskom under the Active Municipality Partnering Programme, paving the way for sustainable electricity management across the country.”
At the beginning of March, the power utility sent out a statement saying that Emfuleni Municipality residents will now have to pay their electricity bill directly to Eskom because of an agreement between the municipality and the power utility. This agreement follows a court ruling from June 2023 that was being enforced.
The court appointed Eskom as an agent for collecting electricity bills due to the municipality’s default on payment to the national electricity supplier.
Since implementing the Distribution Agency Agreement, the municipality has achieved an increase in payment levels with a year-on-year comparison, enhanced maintenance of infrastructure ensuring a stable network, and a marginal improvement in the reliability of electricity supply reducing disruptions.
‘The municipality has enforced aggressive credit control measures’
“We extend our gratitude to customers for paying for the electricity they consume and purchasing from registered electricity vendors,” said Emfuleni Municipality spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni.
SowetanLive reports that the municipality has enforced aggressive credit control measures. These efforts have resulted in increased payment levels and improved reliability of electricity supply, ensuring a stable network for its residents.
The municipality still owes the power utility R3,6 billion after the National Treasury instructed the power utility to write off R1,9 billion from the debt reducing it from R5,9 billion to R3,6 billion.
