South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, has suspended its notice of potential power cuts to the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and City Power (CP), which had been issued due to unpaid debts, according to IOL.
The CoJ owes Eskom R4.9 billion, while unpaid municipal bills across the country totalled R90 billion as of September 2024, placing significant strain on the utility’s finances.
Eskom stated that it had attempted to accommodate the CoJ but could no longer sustain the mounting debt without jeopardising its operations.
Daphne Mokwena from Eskom confirmed that the suspension would provide time for an independent investigation, led by the Minister of Electricity and Energy, into a R3.4 billion overbilling dispute.
An agreement to appoint an expert to resolve the matter was reached during a meeting on 11 November.
