Bloemfontein – The Democratic Alliance urged state power utility Eskom to reconsider the planned disconnection of bulk electricity supply to two Free State municipalities.

Free State DA leader Patricia Kopane said on Monday that Premier Ace Magashule and Eskom should immediately take steps to prevent cutting electricity to paying consumers.

“Premier Ace Magashule established a committee in September 2010 to address the non-payment of municipal accounts,” she said.

Eskom was a member of this committee.

Last week, Eskom published a notice that it was planning to disconnect electricity to the Maluti-A-Phofung municipality, which failed to settle a bill of more than R205m.

Some of the money was outstanding for more than 90 days.

Eskom planned to disconnect power to the municipality on 4 December 2013. Towns and municipal areas affected would be Harrismith, QwaQwa, Kestell, Tshiame, Phuthaditjhaba, Tsheseng, and Witsieshoek.

A similar notice was published for the Ngwathe municipality, which apparently owed more than R188m.

Towns and areas which would be affected by this notice were Edenville, Heilbron, Koppies, Parys, Phiritona, and Vredefort.

Eskom wants submissions on why it should not cut the power to Maluti-A-Phofung and Ngwathe respectively on 6 November and 8 November.

Kopane said due to the urgency of the matter Magashule and Eskom should attend to the issue without delay.

– SAPA