The Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament (MP), Joe McGluwa, tells OFM News that the premier Job Mokgoro has failed to take charge of the situation and deal with the matter.

He says the failure by Mokgoro has plunged most businesses in the province into deep darkness as they face blackouts almost daily.

He adds that the debt owed by North West municipalities threatens to dump the province into a state of complete economic collapse and bring the already erratic delivery of services to a complete halt.

McGluwa says this is already the case in the embattled Tswaing Local Municipality, where Eskom has instituted punitive scheduled black-outs as a result of failure to abide by the payment agreement to settle the municipality’s R57 million debt.

 “We find that some of these municipalities are struggling as far as these payments are concerned because they’re sitting with the bloated staff and some of these municipalities can’t even pay their staff, as we speak. We feel that Premier Job Mokgoro has failed to show decisive leadership when it comes to these municipalities,” says McGluwa.

McGluwa says the Democratic Alliance last week engaged with Mokgoro to coordinate the payment of Tswaing Municipality’s bill to Eskom in order to avoid dumping the community into complete darkness.

He further accused Mokgoro of failing to show decisive leadership in a dispute between the Ngaka District Municipality and the Tswaing Local Municipality which resulted in scheduled daily blackouts.

He adds that these scheduled blackouts are negatively affecting businesses, schools, and private households, which will result in further job losses and have a detrimental impact on matriculants who are currently writing exams.

Some business owners are said to be losing up to R2000 a day in additional expenses to keep generators running and their businesses operational.

The party says other municipalities are also under threat by Eskom to have their bulk electricity supply suspended, should they fail to honour their repayment agreements:

• Ditsobotla Local Municipality: R360 million

• Naledi Local Municipality: R260 million

• Rustenburg Local Municipality: R260 million

• Matlosana Local Municipality: R175 million

• Mamusa Local Municipality: R62 million

• Kgetleng River Local Municipality: R58 million

• Lekwa Teemane Local Municipality: R29 million

• Romotshere Moiloa Local Municipality: R26 million

• Maquassi Hills Local Municipality: R14 million

OFM News