By Eskom and Maluti-A-Phofung (MAP) have signed the Distribution Agency Agreement (DAA) on Tuesday, 7 May 2024, in Qwa-qwa which will see the power utility take over the infrastructure and maintenance of it to ensure consistent reliable power supply.
MAP has been in the news for adverse reasons including poor service delivery, which included power cuts. Residents would go for days without electricity which affected their daily routine. Furthermore, the power cuts affected business and industry, as such; some businesses had to shut down. This created unease for investors.
With this deal, business and industry will be able to function optimally and not worry about losing production time.
Eskom Distribution Managing Director Mr Monde Bala said it has been a long journey to reach this point of the DAA, which started in 2020, he said it was a good day to have signed off the DAA between MAP and Eskom, for the utility to bring electricity to the municipality.
“As Eskom, we did not come here to take over; we are here to make sure that there is reliable electricity supply to Maluti-A-Phofung. We are here to work with the municipality, to make sure that the municipality gets back on its feet as far as provision for electricity is concerned. We are to make sure that we do what is called skills transfer to the municipality so that at a given time, we will hand over back to the municipality with the municipality back on its feet,” said Mr Bala.
Bala appealed to community members who were present at the signing ceremony, to refrain from illegal electricity connections, vandalism of infrastructure and stealing thereof. He pleaded with society to buy electricity if they want to use it instead of stealing it, in that way the problems of the municipality will be solved in terms of electricity.
The Agreement will assist MAP to manage its debt with Eskom and help improve its revenue. New meters will be installed in over 160 000 households by November this year. Community members are encouraged to make sure that by then, they have new meters because electricity tokens will not work on old ones.
The Free State Province Premier Mr. Mxolisi Dukwana told the tender-preneurs that their gravy train has come to an end; he said some of them would intentionally damage transformers so that they can get tenders to go buy those transformers and make money. He described them as greedy and heartless as some of these activities take place during the bitter winter period when people need to warm their homes.
“Now that Eskom is taking over and will be doing this directly, the tenders are over. So you can stop damaging and stealing transformers because you are not going to get any jobs to replace them. So leave the transformers so that people can get electricity,” said Dukwana.
Dukwana alluded that this agreement comes with great economic potential as it will ensure reliable power supply. He said in order to improve the economic conditions of the municipality; some introspection needs to be done.
The Premier said industrial parks need to be revived in order to create jobs; furthermore, the people of MAP have the potential to start their own businesses and create jobs for other people.
“The Free State economy relies on a few sectors, the biggest sector is government services, if government services on its own, the one that is supposed to assist in transforming our society and economy but does not do so, when you look at the supply chain managers, procurement officers who don’t understand when we say we have to grow our economy to reach everyone and for black people to participate in it, but they only do favours to their associates, we have destroyed many people because of this,” said Mxolisi Dukwana.
