Signs of a failed state: Eskom cuts electricity supply to all North West Provincial Government Departments due to non-payment

18 March 2022

The DA notes with serious concern that all North West Provincial Departments have defaulted on their Eskom accounts, resulting in the disconnection of electricity supply by Eskom.

The disconnection of electricity supply to government departments because of non-payment has effectively brought key service delivery programmes to a halt. We can confirm that the Office of the Premier, the departments of COGHSTA, Finance, and Public Works have been disconnected.

The DA has tried on a number of occasions to speak to North West Premier, Bushy Maape, and Heads of Departments without success. However, it appears that Premier Maape and Heads of Departments are now running around trying to find a solution. It is a waste of time because the solution surely is to pay the outstanding amounts immediately.

It is a shameful indictment that the North West Provincial Government, which is under national government administration under Section 100, can’t even do the basics – like pay their accounts on time. If ever anyone needed evidence that the ANC at any sphere of government is incompetent, this is it. The DA has for years maintained that the ANC cannot fix what the ANC has broken.

The DA called on the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for COGHSTA in the Legislature, Aaron Motswana MPL, to urgently convene a committee meeting and summon Premier Maape and Finance MEC Rosho to account for this avoidable embarrassment. The meeting is said to take place later this evening. We will demand from Premier Maape to account to the people of North West. We want to know per department, what the total outstanding debts are, for how long has each department been in default, and when full payment will be made to restore electricity supply.

Several North West municipalities are failing to service their Eskom debt in excess of R1 billion, to note that this is the same with provincial government departments is an indication that there is simply no government in North West. If this is not enough motivation to dismiss the entire Provincial Executive and start on a clean slate, nothing else ever will.

Issued by Freddy Sonakile, DA Caucus Leader: North West Provincial Legislature, 18 March 2022