Emfuleni Local Municipality, facing financial difficulties, has approached the National Treasury to request another write-off of its substantial debt to Eskom, which currently stands at R8 billion due to unpaid electricity bills. Previously, the Treasury granted relief by forgiving nearly R2 billion as part of a debt relief program. The municipality believes it meets the criteria set by the National Treasury for additional debt forgiveness. Finance MMC Hassan Mako announced that discussions are ongoing with authorities to reduce the debt owed to the power utility.
In addition to its struggles with Eskom, Emfuleni has recently encountered issues with another outstanding debt to Rand Water. Meanwhile, the Bench Marks Foundation criticized police operations aimed at combating illegal mining, stating that these efforts fail to address the root causes of the problem. Researcher David van Wyk highlighted that many illegal miners are former mine workers left jobless after mine closures, lacking proper pension payouts.
In a separate matter, leaders of the Afrikaner settlement Kleinfontein, located east of Pretoria, expressed disappointment over the City of Tshwane’s plan to pursue legal action against them, threatening demolition of their settlement. The municipality has mandated Kleinfontein to submit a new spatial planning application to replace an outdated one from 2013, claiming the settlement is illegal and improperly zoned. Community spokesperson Dannie de Beer criticized the city’s approach, arguing that it unfairly targets Kleinfontein rather than fostering dialogue.