Thaba Chweu loses critical power generation capability

Thaba Chweu loses critical power generation capability

 By BRIAN KAJENGO

Thaba Chweu residents are at risk of being left in the dark every day as the municipality is about to lose critical power generating capacity from its hydro-electric plant near Lydenburg.

 As part of a three way agreement, the municipality pays a contractor to operate and maintain the plant and to generate and supply 2,1MW of electricity to the Glencore Meraf smelter, Eskom and the town’s grid.

According to DA information, the agreement is now under threat as the municipality owes the service provider over R11,4 million, and has not honoured its agreement with Eskom to service its outstanding electricity debt, which now stands at R168 million.

The effect on Lydenburg will be devastating to say the least. Electricity demand will far exceed supply, and result in regular power outages in both the CBD and residential areas. While businesses lose income, the local economy will contract, and no jobs will be created – and harm investor confidence.

Thaba Chweu is wholly unable to provide even the most basic of services to residents, and the provincial task team has done nothing since October, except sit by and watch how the municipality systematically being destroyed by political infighting and factionalism.

This governance crisis has to come to an end, and Premier David Mabuza and cooperative governance MEC SPD Skhosana must put their political allegiances aside and intervene.

Thaba Chweu is fast becoming South Africa’s worst performing municipality, and the premier and the ANC have to admit that municipal governance have come to a standstill and to dissolve council under the auspices of Section 139(1)(c) of the constitution and declare elections in all wards.

What Thaba Chweu needs is a DA-led government, with an administration staffed by suitably skilled and competent individuals, and by normalising service delivery, transform this municipality into an attractive investment destination and rapidly create job opportunities.