Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Carina Serfontein and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the municipal administration to urgently address the escalating Eskom debt crisis in the Ngwathe Local Municipality and to push for immediate steps to prevent electricity supply interruptions that would severely affect residents and local businesses.
We note Eskom’s public notice warning that electricity supply to Ngwathe may be reduced or interrupted due to the municipality’s escalating debt.
Eskom has confirmed that Ngwathe now owes approximately R2.9 billion, and even more concerning is that the debt increased by more than R1.2 billion while the municipality was already under the National Treasury’s debt relief programme.
This points to a serious failure of financial management and oversight by the municipality.
Residents and businesses who pay their electricity accounts cannot be punished for the municipality’s inability to manage its finances responsibly.
If urgent action is not taken, electricity supply to Parys, Heilbron, Phiritona, Edenville, Vredefort and Koppies could be affected from 8 May 2026, placing households, businesses and water infrastructure at risk.
The DA calls on the municipality to urgently conclude the Distribution Agency Agreement with Eskom, ring-fence electricity revenue and accelerate the installation of smart electricity meters to stabilise the system and ensure Eskom payments are prioritised.
Residents deserve accountable leadership and a municipality that protects essential services.
If the lights go out in Ngwathe, it will not be because residents failed to pay; it will be because the ANC-dominated Council failed to govern for years.