One Small Municipalities Staggering R930 Million Eskom Debt

Statement by Cllr Eldrige Ruiters – DA Dr Beyers Naude Mayoral Candidate:

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged the Dr Beyers Naude Council to urgently debate Eskom’s proposed interruption/reduction of bulk electricity supply in the municipality.

This follows Eskom’s published public notice that electricity supply will be interrupted or reduced from 8 May, twice daily for up to four hours. This will affect the towns of Jansenville, Steytlerville and Willowmore.

Dr Beyers Naude’s debt to Eskom currently stands at a staggering R930 million.

I have written to the Municipal Manager and Speaker to urgently include this matter on the agenda for the Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 28 April.

It is imperative that the municipality provides us with an action plan to mitigate the impact of electricity interruptions on the communities of Steytlerville, Willowmore and Jansenville.

We have also reached out to the Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy and DA Dr Beyers Naude Constituency Leader Samantha Graham-Maré MP. Her department is engaging with all the role players to find long term solutions to this issues.

The proposed reduction of bulk electricity supply will have devastating economic consequences. It will cripple local businesses, agriculture, and employment in our towns. Essential services such as water, healthcare and sanitation will be severely compromised, placing vulnerable residents at serious risks. The long-term impact will be economic collapse and social instability.

We urgently request Eskom to consider alternatives that protects both financial sustainability and the survival of our communities.

The residents of Dr Beyers Naude deserve better than a government that cannot keep the lights on, fix roads, or balance its books. Communities should not have to pay the price for leaders who treat public funds with such carelessness.

Together we can get Dr Beyers Naude working.