Eskom has rescheduled power cuts to three Eastern Cape municipalities who defaulted on their payments.

The power utility planned to cut the power to the Raymond Mhlaba, Walter Sisulu and Inxuba Yethemba municipalities on Wednesday, 13 September however it decided to postpone the power interruption to Friday, 15 September to give the municipalities’ additional time to make adequate payment or to table firm debt settlement proposals to Eskom.

Eskom says it has been engaging the municipalities and the provincial government regarding the pending interruptions over the last few days and they are still hopeful that they will be able to find mutually acceptable solutions before Friday, 15 September 2017.

“We firmly believe that the interruption of supply to any customer for non-payment is always the option of last resort and we will continue to engage the municipalities over the next 2 days in an attempt to avert the supply interruptions.”

Municipalities still owe Eskom billions

Last month, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des Van Rooyen said several municipalities were complying with the arrangements made with Eskom to settle their electricity debt.

The Minister said this when he briefed media after President Jacob Zuma convened a meeting with political office bearers from all three spheres of government – Ministers, Premiers and Mayors – at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.

According to figures provided by the Presidency after the meeting, 58 municipalities owe the power utility R7.5 billion.