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This is how much Makhanda owes Eskom

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Dear MyPE

On Friday I was joined by Frontier Constituency Leader, Jane Cowley MPL, and DA EC Premier Campaign Spokesperson, Mlindi Nhanha, in flighting a DA #KeepTheLightsOn poster in Makhanda.

Makhanda is in the middle of an electricity crisis due to the Makana Local Municipality not paying its Eskom account.

Over the last 5 years the Municipality’s Eskom debt has risen to a massive R90 million.

The power utility now plans to shut Makhanda’s power off for extended periods every day. Makana Municipality has until Monday to start paying its debt, or the town will go dark.

This is happening whilst the embattled Eskom is on the brink of collapse due to the mismanagement and corruption of the failing ANC government.

The electricity crisis at Eskom threatens the future of South Africa. We are being warned to prepare for the grid to fail completely – this means no electricity for days.

The ANC has stolen so much money that they can’t keep the lights on at Eskom anymore.

Prolonged rolling blackouts will lead to a total collapse of basic services.

The government is preparing for Stage 5 and 6 blackouts. When this is implemented, half of the country will be without power at a time. If the slightest thing goes wrong during this stage, the power grid could fail completely for weeks on end.

The DA has a clear plan to fix the electricity situation in South Africa:

  • We would change the law to allow cities to buy electricity from many independent power producers;
  • Rapidly recruit engineers back into Eskom so that power stations can be properly maintained;
  • Allow Eskom to buy coal from any source.
  • Freeze the build on the last two costly units at the Kusile power station, which is a waste of money and won’t be completed in time; and
  • Instruct PetroSA to sell Eskom the diesel they need tax free at cost price, so that they can afford to run backup power stations.

The failing ANC must be voted out of government.

Only a DA government can keep the lights on.

Regards

Nqaba Bhanga
DA EC Premier Candidate

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Port Elizabethan

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