Eskom says Soweto residents owe billions in unpaid bills

Eskom says the outstanding bill owed by Soweto residents now sits at about R5 billion. Eskom customer service manager Daphne Mokwena addressed residents at the Soweto Theatre on Saturday.

Mokwena has denied a claim by Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse that the power utility has not come to the party in an attempt to resolve the Soweto electricity debt.

Mokwena says, “The amount is about R5 billion that is owed to Eskom. Once we have installed the prepaid meters, we will monitor your purchases for 36 months and park your debt. We are engaging with the city, about a month ago we had another engagement with the city.”

Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse has begun with her response to the residents of Soweto. #CoJInSoweto #JoburgServices@CityofJoburgZA @CoJPublicSafety @mphophalatse1 @MmcPublicSafety @David_S_Tembe pic.twitter.com/8kv2e5giIQ

— Jo’burg Metro Police Department – JMPD (@JoburgMPD) September 10, 2022

Eskom to install prepaid meters for Soweto residents

Some Soweto residents feel that Phalatse did not give them the answers they were looking for in addressing their electricity struggles. Joined by members of the Mayoral Committee and Eskom representatives, Phalatse addressed residents at Soweto Theatre.

There’s been long-standing pressure on the City of Johannesburg to take over the electricity supply in Soweto, as residents currently get their power directly from Eskom.

Residents sang struggle songs as they eagerly awaited the Johannesburg Mayor’s address. This comes after a memorandum of concerns was delivered to the mayor’s office in June.

The Joburg Mayor says she has tried to engage Eskom on several occasions but has not yet received any tangible solutions for Soweto.

Soweto residents say they are left even more frustrated after the service delivery address by Phalatse and Eskom on the ongoing electrifying woes in the area.

Lack of tangible solution

They say the Mayor and Eskom failed to come up with tangible solutions to the power challenges the people of Soweto are struggling with.

They say Saturday’s address was a waste of time. The message did not sit well with the residents who had attended the meeting.

Video: Eskom engages Joburg to tackle power debt and challenges in Soweto