South African officials discuss R467 billion municipal electricity debt crisis
via The Citizen4 min read
South African ministers and officials from Eskom and the South African Local Government Association Salga convened to address the R467 billion debt owed by consumers to municipalities, and the R110 billion municipalities owe Eskom. Electricity and energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramakgopa emphasized the need for "innovative and drastic ways" to resolve the debt, warning that municipalities could lose basic functions. He noted that while Distribution Agency Agreements DAA have improved revenue collection and reduced losses in some municipalities, their impact needs to be more widespread. The municipal debt relief program has seen 24 out of 71 participating municipalities have one-third of their historic debt written off, with 27 others receiving partial write-offs. However, 13 municipalities received termination letters for non-payment. Eskom reported success with load reduction in 971 areas, leading to a 42% drop in consumption due to improved payment. Smart meters were highlighted as effective, showing a 26% revenue increase for municipalities and 96% payment recovery for Eskom. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Cogta attributed the crisis to a "culture of non-payment" and systemic breakdown in revenue collection, suggesting DAAs as a tool for recovery in distressed municipalities. Salga, however, expressed concerns that DAAs threaten municipal autonomy and advocated for internal reforms, increased funding, training, and support for municipalities.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Citizen.
President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged public skepticism regarding government promises during the launch of a borehole project in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. This initiative aims to improve water supply in communities, including Hammanskraal, where residents have faced issues with water quality and access for years, exacerbated by a cholera outbreak in 2023. Ramaphosa stated that the people of Hammanskraal have endured significant hardship due to the lack of clean water, leading to a loss of trust in the government's ability to deliver solutions. He emphasized that the launch of this project, which includes three interventions, represents tangible progress rather than just another plan. The Department of Water and Sanitation indicated that the Klipdrift 50-megalitre-per-day Package Water Treatment Plant, implemented by Magalies Water, will provide an additional 50 megalitres of treated potable water daily to the City of Tshwane's distribution network. This is expected to benefit approximately 47,550 households, or about 180,679 residents, in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas. The borehole schemes, located at Kekana Community Hall, Botlhokwa bja Bana, Suurman Ridge Unit 5, Mashemong Section 5, and Lepheng Village, include boreholes, elevated storage tanks, communal water collection points, and water treatment systems. These projects are anticipated to improve access to safe drinking water for over 1,400 households and students in the Hammanskraal area, providing peace of
Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka's investigation report on the informal food industry in Gauteng highlights a critical shortage of environmental health inspectors and a significant decline in food safety compliance. The report, released on Friday, was prompted by numerous food poisoning incidents in late 2024, which resulted in the deaths of at least 23 children in Gauteng. The investigation aimed to determine if the Department of Health, municipal departments, the National Consumer Commission, and food inspectors failed in their duties. The Public Protector noted that Gauteng, with approximately 16 million residents, requires 1,600 environmental health practitioners EHPs based on international and national standards of one EHP per 10,000 people. However, the province's municipalities have an EHP staff capacity of only 30.3% overall, with Johannesburg at 50%, Ekurhuleni at 23%, and Tshwane at 21%. Sedibeng and the West Rand district municipality had the lowest rates at 16% and 18%, respectively. The report also found that while 55% of spaza shops in Gauteng's three largest municipalities are owned by foreign nationals, the overall licensing and compliance levels across the province stand at a mere 28%. This means for every licensed spaza shop, there are almost three unlicensed ones operating. Ekurhuleni had the lowest spaza shop compliance rate at 5%. Gcaleka emphasized that municipalities are responsible for regulating food sales and business registrations. She recommended t
South African schools continue to experience incidents involving pupils falling into pit toilets, despite the Department of Basic Education's pledge to eradicate them by March 2025. Recent incidents occurred at Mogogelo Primary in North West and Zakhele Primary in KwaZulu-Natal. At Mogogelo Primary, a Grade 1 pupil fell into a pit toilet after a contractor abandoned the site, leaving open inlets. The school's education spokesperson, Vuyo Mantshule, stated the school did not barricade the construction area. At Zakhele Primary, a five-year-old pupil was rescued from a pit latrine earlier this year. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor at the University of Johannesburg, noted that under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Safe programme, 3,372 schools with unsafe pit toilets were identified in 2018. As of April 2025, 96% of these schools had been addressed, with 141 awaiting completion, a number that has since fallen to around 135. Yassim also highlighted that about 1,770 public schools still had some form of pit toilets in 2024, though many also had alternative sanitation. The department has allocated R1.6 billion for the 2025-26 financial year to complete pit latrine eradication. Last year, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube informed parliament that the Safe initiative had eradicated over 93% of identified pit toilets and confirmed that all 3,372 schools identified in the 2018 audit now have safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.