We’ve previously pointed out the irony of Joburg’s City Power pursuing those who won’t pay their power bills, while failing to settle their own debt to Eskom.
But the situation is threatening to descend into tragedy as Eskom starts pulling the plug on city street lights.
Eskom officially complained to City Power in April that it had not paid its small power user accounts. The accounts, which go towards keeping the street lights on, were more than R4.1 million overdue at the time. Eskom warned that if the money was not paid, it would start disconnecting streets.
And, according to Moneyweb’s story today, that has already started happening in Sandton, Bryanston, Fourways, Midrand, Cosmo City and Soweto.
An Eskom source was adamant the lights will not be switched on until the full outstanding debt is settled.
So, there we are then. Any lingering doubts you may have had about Johannesburg being mismanaged into the status of a failing, banana republic metropolis should start evaporating.
The disconnection of the street lights obviously has implications for safety in our crime-riddled society, as well as the potential to badly affect traffic safety.
This infrastructure is a hallmark of a modern city, but our municipal politicians seem little concerned we are slipping back into the virtual Dark Ages.
And, even as this news breaks, member of the mayoral committee for group corporate and shared services Sthembiso Zungu has been accused of being a member of the “construction mafia” in the city and of extortion related to infrastructure projects in southern Johannesburg.
As a loyal ANC member, he’s expected to present himself before the party’s disciplinary committee for their judgment.
We all know where that is heading – nowhere. But it does show why our lights are going out… because the comrades are stealing the city blind.
