By David Nzunga | DA Councillor Moqhaka Local Municipality
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr David Nzunga.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Moqhaka is taking action to address the looming electricity crisis caused by the ANC-led Moqhaka Municipality’s failure to honour its Eskom repayment plan.
The DA advised Mayor Toy Mokatsane to include an Eskom repayment plan in the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) for 2023/24, but he failed to do so. As a result, the National Treasury warned that it would withhold Moqhaka’s equitable share in December 2024 unless a recovery plan was submitted.
Despite these warnings, the municipality has only made two payments of R5 million after enforcing collections in September 2024. Eskom has placed Moqhaka Municipality under debt review due to its continued failure to honour repayments in the second quarter ending December 2024.
Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Irene Mokheseng briefed the Finance Portfolio Committee on the municipality’s failure to honour its debt relief obligations for servicing the second-quarter account, which ended on December 31 and amounted to R137,359,695. As a result, Eskom cut off the electricity supply, and the Treasury issued a warning letter stating that further power cuts would follow.
This continued non-payment contributed to Eskom’s decision to cut off the electricity supply and prompted a warning from the Treasury regarding further action.
The DA in Moqhaka has repeatedly called on Mayor Mokatsane to present a report on the Eskom repayment plan, but he has failed to do so. His lack of leadership and disregard for the well-being of the community is unacceptable. The DA urges residents of Moqhaka to hold the ANC accountable in the 2026 local government elections.
We will continue to fight for transparency and responsible financial management to ensure reliable service delivery for our communities.