Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 25-06-2019
An energy expert says the more then R 18 billion owed to Eskom in unpaid electricity bills by Soweto residents is nothing new and has been going on since 1985.
On Monday it emerged that the township’s debt increased by R3 billion over a period of just 12 months from March last year.
In just six months, Soweto residents’ debt increased by more than a R1 billion, pushing the bill to R18 billion.
Speaking to Radio Islam, energy expert Ted Blom says Eskom has not given a clear indication of how much it is really owed by Soweto residents.
“What Eskom hasn’t told you is that they’ve written off the debt of Soweto, when it gets to about R 20 billion. They’ve done so twice in the past. So the R 18 billion that’s now outstanding is not a new number, it’s not a new phenomenon. It’s something that’s being going on since 1985.”
Blom says Eskom can also not cut off the electricity of residents who do not pay their bills as there will be unrest.
“If you cut them off as a lot of people would say you should do, it immediately gives rise to unrest and the last thing that government wants is for there to be widespread unrest and burning of installations and so on.”
Blom says the Eskom issue is a product of the African National Congress’ (ANC) own making getting residents to boycott the previous regime by not paying electricity and that party should urge its supporters in the township to pay its debt to the power utility.
Listen to the interview with Ted Blom
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