The Makhanda high court has temporarily halted Eskom's threatened escalating power cuts that could have led to Karoo communities being denied electricity for 14 hours a day, seven days a week, prompted by unpaid debts exceeding R532m.
The Makhanda high court has put a provisional stop to plans by Eskom to impose severe electricity cuts of up to 14 hours a day on three Karoo towns - Steytlerville, Jansenville and Klipplaat after the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality racked up debt to the power utility of R532-million.
The order, given by Judge Justin Laing, is provisional, and Eskom can later argue why it should not stand. As it is, it will prevent lengthy power cuts until a court has heard an application to review Eskom's decision to impose the drastic debt-management measures.
The crisis that the municipalities and Eskom face due to unpaid municipal debt is enormous, and now exceeds R110-billion, according to the latest numbers from the parliamentary electricity and energy committee.
According to Eskom, its decision to heavily restrict power supply to the three towns forms part of its efforts to prevent the municipality's present debt from going out of control. In papers before the court, Eskom claimed that the municipality was using its electricity money to pay salaries and creditors.
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