Eskom gets Sheriff to attach Emfuleni assets

Cash-strapped state power utility Eskom got the Sheriff of the Court to seize cars, furniture and other equipment from the cash-strapped Emfuleni Local Municipality in western Gauteng on Tuesday, for non-payment of electricity.

The move comes as the municipality’s Eskom debt ballooned to some R2.3 billion.

While the assets seized from Emfuleni Municipality’s main Vanderbijlpark premises are likely to amount to only several million rand, Eskom seems to be making a statement around billions of rand in debt owed to it by local municipalities across the country.

Around this time last year, Eskom got the Sheriff of the Court to attach assets in the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State for non-payment of electricity debt, which ran to around R2.8 billion.

Eskom Spokesman Sikonathi Mantshantsha was on site at Emfuleni Municipality’s Vanderbijlpark offices and tweeted live visuals of the property being seized on Tuesday. He said the move related to a court judgement in 2018 to recover some of the debt owed by the municipality to Eskom.

Sheriff of the Court removing municipal property to enforce judgement for the non-payment of @Eskom_SA R635 million debt by the Emfuleni Local Municipality right now. This is at the main municipality building at Vanderbijlpark pic.twitter.com/JR4sz0Br8g

— SikonathiMantshantsh (@SikonathiM) March 10, 2020

Sheriff of the Court removing Emfuleni Local Municipality property from building on Frikkie Havenga Blvd, Vanderbijlpark. Court order to recover R645m in unpaid electricity debt owed to @Eskom_SA. @SABCNewsOnline @SAfmnews @CapeTalk @Radio702 @kayafm95dot9 @Powerfm987 @LesediFM pic.twitter.com/t79Ymm18rk

— SikonathiMantshantsh (@SikonathiM) March 10, 2020

Situation in the Vaal now now. Sherrifs out at Emfuleni Municipality premises repossessing assets due to the amount owed to @Eskom_SA@eNCA @barry pic.twitter.com/mANWeNbnrn

— #MissGoGetUrGlow (@Miss_Fipaza) March 10, 2020