While some rural village households in Mpumalanga finally have access to electricity for the first time, other municipalities in the province will be in darkness this weekend.

Eskom said it will continue interrupting power supply to the eMalahleni and Msukaligwa municipalities in Mpumalanga over the weekend. This was communicated to residents in both municipalities through a final decision notice distributed through different media platforms last week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday power supply to the municipalities will be interrupted from 08h30 – 11h00 and 15h00 – 17h30. Next week Monday the schedule will go back to 06h00 – 08h00 and 17h00 – 19h30 from Monday to Friday, Eskom indicated in a statement.

Ayanda Noah, Eskom’s group executive for customer services, said that the interruption of power supply as a result of non-payment remains an agonising decision for Eskom and is a means of last resort.

“We hope the municipalities will come up with a sustainable payment plan and thus avert further interruptions for its citizens,” she said.

While in the rural area of Waterval Nkanini in the Bushbuckridge Municipality, 27 homes have been connected to the power grid, giving them access to electricity for the first time.

“The Nkanini community previously depended on candle and fire wood for lighting, cooking and heating,” Phil Khumalo, general manager of Mpumalanga’s operating unit said.

Last month, Eskom’s interim CE Matshela Koko said Eskom has connected 162,104 new customers to the grid in nine months with 150,747 customers energised and already using electricity.

“We hope to electrify all households in South African in the next two years,” he said.

Eskom is still on track to accelerate its 207,332 year-end target and reach universal access by 2020.

For defaulting municipalities, to avoid supply interruptions they need to meet the following three requirements:

• A cash payment as negotiated with each municipality
• A written undertaking in the form of a Council Resolution that current accounts will be honoured going forward
• A payment plan for the arrears supported by a Council Resolution.

Eskom said that if municipalities can meet these requirements, their power supply interruptions will be suspended.