No Evidence of a CoJ-Eskom Settlement

Power cut to Johannesburg remains despite reports of CoJ-Eskom deal

Eskom confirms its electricity interruption process remains active while no evidence has been provided that a settlement has been reached between Eskom and the City of Johannesburg.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) says that it has instructed its attorneys to provide it with the best legal remedies to address the Eskom / CoJ electricity problem with the aim of ensuring the lights stay on. “Whilst the public engagement process continues, we believe that this may require legal intervention to ensure residents and business interests are protected and that the customers of CoJ don’t become collateral damage.” said Adv. Stefanie Fick, Executive Director of the Accountability Division at OUTA.

According to Julius Kleynhans, Executive Manager at OUTA, Johannesburg residents and businesses were led to believe that the City’s debt dispute with Eskom had been resolved after public announcements suggested that an agreement had been reached. “OUTA encourages business and residents to comment and raise their objections in Eskom’s public engagement process to ensure their voices are heard before the 17 June 2026 deadline date.

Eskom, through its notice of intent to cut power to CoJ, allowed business and residents to raise their concerns and comments on Eskom’s intent to cut the power due to CoJ’s failure to pay Eskom for the electricity it supplies the city.

OUTA believes the public participation process has been undermined because many residents, businesses, and organisations would reasonably have concluded that there was no longer any need to make submissions after reports emerged that Eskom and the City had reached an agreement.

“A public participation process can only be meaningful if people have accurate information,” says Kleynhans.

“Residents are already experiencing the consequences of this dispute,” says Kleynhans. “Darkened streets raise concerns around public safety, security, and mobility. These are not abstract financial disagreements taking place in boardrooms. They are decisions with real-world consequences for people who depend on functioning public infrastructure every day.”

OUTA maintains that paying residents and businesses should not be punished for governance and financial failures within the CoJ and City Power.

“The debt crisis was not created by ordinary residents who pay their accounts every month,” says Kleynhans. “Those responsible for managing electricity revenues and ensuring Eskom is paid must be held accountable, but compliant consumers cannot continue to carry the consequences of government failures.”

Kleynhans said that Johannesburg is South Africa’s economic hub. Any interruption of electricity supply would have consequences far beyond individual consumers and could affect economic activity, employment, public safety, healthcare facilities, schools, telecommunications infrastructure, water services, and investor confidence.

OUTA has asked Eskom to clarify the status of negotiations with the CoJ publicly, inform stakeholders that the notice of intention to cut remains in effect, extend the public comment deadline by 30 days, and share the agreement reached between Eskom and the CoJ.

“Cutting electricity to CoJ poses a significant public interest. The people and business should be granted sufficient opportunity to exercise their rights, and such a process must be fair and reasonable,” Kleynhans added.

Residents, businesses, and civil society organisations are encouraged to make submissions before the deadline of 17 June 2026, should they wish to have their concerns formally considered as part of Eskom’s decision-making process.