ESKOM has revealed to Daily Sun that as of 31 October 2023, Soweto’s total debt with the utility stands at R2,3 billion.
While Eskom has disconnected electricity in some parts of Soweto, the utility told Daily Sun that they were conducting disconnections to prevent equipment failure and revenue loss.
This is done in areas with a risk of electricity infrastructure exploding or failing because of illegal activities through tampering and bypassing meters and illegal connections.
The troubled power utility revealed that Eskom loses about R326 million a month due to non-purchases of electricity and customers purchasing electricity from ghost vendors, with residential debt increasing exponentially across Gauteng.
“Such acts inconvenience law-abiding, paying customers and affect community service points such as healthcare and education facilities, businesses, and the economy at large, thus the disconnections. Disconnections are also affected as an effort to protect the safety of our communities. Should the electricity infrastructure fail or explode, it exposes communities to possible injuries and fatalities often affecting innocent lives, particularly children,” Eskom said.
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The utility said that they continuously monitor their systems and conduct network audits.
Customers found to have tampered with their meters and purchased electricity tokens from ghost vendors will be issued with a remedial fee.
“Sixty percent of customers who have been issued with remedial charges must make the upfront payment before supply can be restored. The restoration of supply will not be immediate as the network has to be renormalised and declared safe for the switch on. This process may take up to a month to complete," said the power utility.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi oversaw the activation of power transformers in Phiri and Emdeni in Soweto after months of no electricity. Residents said they didn’t have money to pay fines but were excited about having their electricity again.
This happened after Lesufi promised the Soweto communities in the dark that they would have their lights on by Christmas.
This after residents of Dobsonville, Emdeni, Braamfischerville, and Zola gathered at the overcrowded Kopanong Community Hall on Tuesday, 14 November, to engage with the premier regarding the electricity supply challenges in their areas.
