Communities under the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Bethal, Mpumalanga, are considering taking legal action against the municipality over power outages. The residents claim that the power blackouts have been going on for many years without being addressed. The Govan Mbeki Municipality owes Eskom R1.8 billion and because of this power usage has since been capped.
Twenty-one municipalities in Mpumalanga owe Eskom around R8 billion. The situation has led to the power utility limiting power to the affected municipalities. Areas that include Kriel, Bethal, Evander and Embalenhle are among those experiencing power cuts in the province. In the Govan Mbeki Municipality, communities claim that they sometimes go for days without electricity.
A pensioner, Sampie Beukes, who is asthmatic is dependent on an oxygen concentrator machine. He says the situation puts his life at risk. He had to acquire a generator, which needs fuel.
“This generator, it runs for about three to four hours, then it’s getting hot, you need to put it off. What am I supposed to do during the night to get oxygen because this machine it’s not efficient it’s too small? I am worried about my life and its deteriorating,” says Beukes.
An organisation representing the community, Bethal and Emzinoni Community for Services, says it had written to relevant government departments and the Presidency on the issue. Maryke Classen from the organisation says it is considering taking the municipality to court.
“Our next step, we are looking at getting legal advice and taking legal action as the community against this municipality because we are in the dark. Govan Mbeki is a large community, they owe Eskom R1.8 billion now and nothing is being done and why certain areas of the municipality are feeling the brunt of this, Emzinoni, Mbalenhle and Bethal,” says Classen.
The Municipality’s spokesperson, Benzi Soko, says they had to implement rotational load shedding. According to Soko, measures are being implemented to address the situation.
“The municipality has since appointed a service provider who is currently on-site to address this problem. We are appealing to the community to exercise calm and restraint. We hope that given an opportunity to execute his duties these problems are going to be fixed as a matter of urgency,” explains Soko.
The municipality is reportedly paying Eskom R5 million monthly to reduce the debt.
