JOHANNESBURG - Eskom said it has not yet reached a final decision regarding the implementation of supply interruptions in Johannesburg.
This comes after it issued a notice threatening to reduce, interrupt, or terminate electricity supply to certain bulk supply points serving the City of Johannesburg and City Power.
The City owes Eskom more than R5 billion.
READ | Eskom threatens to pull plug on Joburg over unpaid debt
According to the power utility, this is just a notice of intention.
“Should the process proceed further, the nature, extent, and schedule of any potential supply reduction or interruption would be communicated in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and operational considerations,” Eskom said.
Eskom said the decision to opt for bulk supply interruptions at key intake points instead of technical cut-off is because it is following a regulated and technically managed process in dealing with municipal arrear debt.
READ | Dada Morero racing against time to keep lights on amid Eskom threat
Bulk supply points form part of the contractual supply arrangement between Eskom and municipalities or metros, it added.
Earlier this month, the utility announced that a total of nine municipalities had council resolutions to sign the Distribution Agency Agreement, following the consultation process over unpaid electricity debt.
Now Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub, is in the spotlight, and at the centre of this crisis are residents who are paying for electricity and businesses trying to survive in a struggling economy.
Eskom said it takes note of residents and businesses who consistently pay for electricity services and that their intention is not to penalise paying customers, but to address an unsustainable debt situation that ultimately affects the stability of Eskom.
“Municipalities collect electricity revenue on behalf of electricity services, and those funds are expected to be used to pay for electricity supplied by Eskom. When this does not happen, it places pressure on Eskom’s ability to sustain operations, maintain infrastructure and continue delivering electricity.”
Mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero, has vowed that the city's lights will stay on despite threats by Eskom to cut electricity supply over billions owed.
He said it is not in Eskom's interest to plunge the city into darkness, but rather to ensure that money owed to them is paid.
He said talks with Eskom are underway.