Thembisa Shologu
The South African Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) has been appointed to evaluate and validate the credibility of the bill Eskom levied on City Power in 14 days. The assessment is underway and will be completed on 25 November 2024.
This follows an agreement by both parties to resolve the debt dispute and a public notice issued by the power utility last week.
Eskom issued a public notice announcing its intention to interrupt the electricity supply to the city.
Following the public dispute regarding the overbilling of over R3.4 billion, with a pending appeal and monthly declarations by the city since July 2024, the Minister for Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, had to intervene.
“The first resolution is appointing independent technical capacity to evaluate and validate the bill’s credibility levied by Eskom to City Power. Both parties have agreed that The South African Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) will undertake this process.
“The second resolution is a 14-day turnaround timeframe for the assessment report to be presented to all parties, the set date being 25 November 2024.
“The third resolution is that City Power will pay the current account for the notice of intention to interrupt power supply to the City of Johannesburg, issued by Eskom, to be withdrawn; and lastly, is the agreement on the importance of the Minister and the Executive Mayor to assure business and households that there is no crisis,” said Minister Ramokgopa.
Executive Mayor Dada Morero said the appointed institution would assess all the meters and the supply meters from Eskom.
Morero noted that even though Eskom agreed to cancel the notice, the city was still obliged to pay the debt.
“They will go check and assess all the meters and the supply meters from Eskom and confirm that. Indeed, there is no one owing or overbilling, there is no overbilling, and no one is overcharged, or the city was overcharged. Based on that, we will make a final decision and move forward.
“We have also agreed that the city must continue to pay its current account; we will ensure that the current account is paid even though there could be questions about overbilling so that we continue to pay to keep our account up to date,” he said.
Both parties have agreed to continue to engage as and when there are issues of this nature.
Morero also agreed that Johannesburg, as an economic hub, should keep its lights on.
“We will do within ourselves as we have also agreed that there will be two technical experts from City Power and Eskom to assess the current situation and continue to assess the future situation, making sure that everybody is happy as and when invoices are generated,” added Morero.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
