Exactly one year after the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) warned that Eskom could cut electricity supply to the Ekurhuleni Metro due to power debt, official documents now confirm that the situation has deteriorated even further.
According to the latest correspondence from the City Manager, Kagiso Lerutla, Ekurhuleni currently owes Eskom more than R3,58 billion for only two months of arrears – R1,88 billion for October 2025 and R1,91 billion for November 2025, excluding interest.
Although the Metro paid R1 billion on 2 January 2026, it fell R836 million short of its own payment agreement by the end of December 2025.
The looming crisis is that Eskom has now officially given notice of its intention to reduce or cut bulk electricity supply to parts of Ekurhuleni due to non-payment.
The notice specifically refers to debt exceeding R3,4 billion for electricity already supplied and emphasises that Eskom has repeatedly attempted to negotiate with Ekurhuleni since 2023, but to no avail.
Additional alarming facts came to light during a recent Financial Oversight Committee meeting:
- Only 63% of valid invoices are paid within 30 days, in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
- Cash reserves have dropped to only fifteen days, far below the prescribed requirement of 25 days.
- There are currently 67 ongoing legal actions against the Metro instituted by unpaid service providers.
The root of the problem is that residents pay their electricity bills, but that money is not passed on to Eskom.
This is a reckless practice essentially using Eskom as a credit card for municipal maladministration.
The Freedom Front Plus insists that the full extent of the Metro’s Eskom debt and payment obligations must be honestly and transparently disclosed to residents, and that electricity revenue should not be used to cover other expenditure.
A binding and realistic payment agreement should also be concluded with Eskom – one that the Metro is able to adhere to and that will resolve the crisis. Ultimately, there has to be political accountability for the financial mismanagement that landed the Metro in this situation.
The ANC-led city administration should stop pacifying residents while the Metro’s financial foundation is crumbling. Should Eskom flip the switch, residents and businesses will be the ones to pay the highest price, not the politicians.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressing for accountable administration and safeguarding residents’ right to reliable power supply.
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