Johannesburg: Eskom has suspended its Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) notice of potential power interruption against the City of Joburg (CoJ) and City Power issued last month.
According to South African Government News Agency, this decision is to allow the Minister of Electricity and Energy’s process, undertaken by an independent expert, regarding alleged historical overbilling to be concluded.
Following a meeting on 11 November 2024 involving the Minister, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero, and executives from the CoJ, City Power, and Eskom, it was decided that an independent expert would investigate the disputed alleged overbilling of approximately R3.4 billion by 25 November 2024. This deadline has been extended to 6 December 2024 for the report to be delivered to the Minister. Eskom has expressed its full support for this process.
The CoJ and City Power were required to pay R1.4 billion for the September 2024 invoice, which was withheld for Eskom to suspend the PAJA notice. To da
te, they have paid Eskom R1.3 billion, slightly less than the agreed amount. Additionally, the October 2024 invoice of R1.3 billion, due by 29 November 2024, remains unpaid. CoJ and City Power have committed to making a further payment by 6 December 2024.
Eskom will await the submission of the independent report before taking further action. The utility has assured that it will keep stakeholders and the media informed of any developments.