Much has been said about the R5,2 billion that the City of Joburg owes to Eskom. However, the reality is that the City's bill is much higher than that. In fact, it is R6.84 billion that is owed to Eskom.
As our "Joburg By Numbers" graphic shows below, R5,26 billion is the City's outstanding amount for May. There is an additional R1,54 billion due in June. Judging by the fact that the outstanding debt and arrears have climbed to over R5 billion, chances are this debt will not be paid by next month - making Eskom's threats of cutting off the City's power even more real.
This is not to be alarmist or scaremongering on my part. The City buys electricity from Eskom and sells it to us as residents. So the threat is not to the administration's buildings, but extends to our homes.
The mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero, delivered his State of the City Address (SOCA) last week and said nothing about how exactly his administration plans to tackle this outstanding debt. One would have expected Morero to tell residents how he plans to pay that amount, instead of simply telling them that they were "taking it seriously". Of course they should, and so should we all.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
A State of the City Address is meant to be a report-back on performance, as well as a presentation of plans for the coming year. Instead, Morero spent almost the entire time defending his administration and taking aim at political rivals and detractors. After all the pomp, ceremony and pageantry, the residents of Johannesburg are none the wiser as to how their lives will improve.
Perhaps this is too much to expect from Morero, as it is frankly none of his business. By this, I mean it is clear that he will not be the ANC's mayoral candidate for the upcoming election.
No matter what Morero says, the reality is that things are getting worse instead of getting better. This is evident just by looking at the electricity debt alone. This is before we even consider the chaos on our roads and other City entities that continue to bleed billions without clear turnaround plans.
The last time Eskom threatened to cut off services to the City, it was owed R4,9 billion in November 2024, prompting the intervention of Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and a settlement being reached. Now, if nothing happens between now and next month, the outstanding amount will have climbed to R6,8 billion.
This is what the mayor should have addressed in his SOCA, rather than using it as an opportunity to take stabs at Cape Town. We don't live or pay rates in Cape Town. We live in the Johannesburg that we love. Morero's speech was underwhelming and truly disappointing.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
- Ngalwa is the Editor-in-Chief of Our City News
