ELM to submit new Eskom dept payment plan
VANDERBIJLPARK. - ELM will submit a new payment plan on its R2,3 billion Eskom debt by the extended Friday deadline this week after intensive local and provincial Government stakeholder consultation and whirlwind meetings to hammer out an affordable and sustainable deal.
This was after the original April 14 deadline set by Eskom lapsed and after the cash-strapped municipality requested the deadline be extended to 24 April.
Eskom national spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha confirmed the new April 24 deadline after original proposals by the parties – an ELM eight-year payment plan and a five-year Eskom counter-proposal – were recently referred to Gauteng Province for discussion.
But a fresh proposal by ELM following intensive rounds of stakeholder talks and consultations with ELM Executive Mayor Gift Moerane will be submitted to COGTA (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) MEC Lebogang Maile this week and would meet Friday’s deadline.
“Following our stakeholder consultations last week we will be ready to submit our proposal to MEC Maile by the deadline on Friday,” ELM Municipal Manager Lucky Leseane told Vaalweekblad on Monday this week.
Maile has in recent weeks been facilitating a political solution to the Eskom debt crisis since ELM defaulted for a second time earlier this year on its payment obligations – the crisis erupting before Leseane’s assumption of duties in late February.
Leseane said earlier he was focused on an affordable and sustainable deal with Eskom on payment of ELM’s huge electricity debt to Eskom which factored in the needs of community and the business sector as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on revenue generation.
The latest rounds of negotiations and proposals took place after Maile recently facilitated a high-level meeting between Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter, Mayor Moerane, Leseane and other Gauteng Mayors to find a lasting debt payment solution.
The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) has welcomed Leseane‘s focus on a sustainable deal taking into account the interests of both the Vaal business sector and residents.
GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger also urged Eskom to adopt an economically and socially-responsible and sustainable approach to resolving the ELM debt issue.
Kritzinger said this week the GTCoC welcomed Eskom’s extension of the proposal deadline to 24 April so that the best possible deal in the interests of all parties could be reached.
“As the GTCoC we believe that the Vaal’s economic recovery and prosperity should be prioritised by Government at all levels, Eskom and ELM as well as political stakeholders because this will benefit everyone beyond short-term interests,” said Kritzinger.
- Maile’s office referred inquiries to ELM.
