- Thousands sign DA’s petition against Joburg power cuts.
- DA delivers petition and memorandum of demands to Eskom.
- Mayor must be held accountable, not residents.
Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) handed over a petition with thousands of signatures to Eskom opposing its proposed electricity supply interruptions in Johannesburg.
This comes as Eskom threatens to cut off the electricity supply to large parts of Johannesburg due to non-payment.
The City and its officials’ failure to pay Eskom has left residents on the chopping block. Even though the officials themselves are culpable for the situation through their political mismanagement.
Despite residents and businesses having dutifully paid their rates, taxes and bills, they are unfairly bearing the consequences of the City’s maladministration.
With no confirmed agreement between Eskom and the City of Johannesburg, residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure remain at risk.
We will not allow ordinary people to pay the price for government failures and we have gathered over 5,000 signatures and comments from Johannesburg residents opposing any action that will leave the City in the dark.
Every comment has strengthened the case against this devastating decision.
We are further calling on the City Mayor, Dada Morero, to be held accountable for this crisis, as he is the representative for all public entities in Johannesburg, of which the City itself is the 100% shareholder. This most importantly includes City Power.
He and his officials are responsible for this lapse in payment and should be held to account.
As a result, we demand that the City and the officials involved in this debacle:
•Pay back the debt obligation to Eskom;
•Enter into discussions with Eskom and continue negotiations until a solution is reached that protects residents’ electricity supply;
•Provide a clear timeline and management plan to the public outlining the corrective course of action going forward;
•Extend the period during which residents are able to provide public comment on the matter; and
•Investigate where taxpayers money, that was intended for payment to Eskom, has disappeared to.
The DA will continue to fight for reliable service delivery for the residents of Joburg.
Residents need to register to vote in the upcoming Local Government Elections on 4 November to get Johannesburg working for all.