Three Free State municipalities will no longer receive electricity supply from Eskom.

That is – until they initiate plans to pay back a total of R736 million in debts for power provided.

The Ngwathe, Dihlabeng and Maluti-a-Phofung municipalities’ will have to scramble for a solution as Eskom states “not only have they not come up with a plan for the next six to 18 months, the more significant issue is that they have not paid their current bills.”

Power supply would remain suspended until the municipalities and Eskom came to an agreement on a payment plant, explained Eskom, whilst maintaining that it is using this tactic as a last resort.

The power utility gave the municipalities notices in May 2014, followed by interventions and negotiations, which had been taking place between the provincial government and the utility since then.

Expect to see more of this saga unfold in the national media as rate paying residents are not expected to take this news well at all.