Load shedding: Good news, but MPs want answers!

MZANSI has been going for nearly 200 days without load shedding.

Despite this, members of Parliament are concerned about Eskom's financial viability.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) and the Appropriations Committee met the power utility's management during a joint oversight visit at Eskom's Megawatt Park head office in Joburg.

The purpose of the meeting was to assess progress in Eskom's operational and financial recovery, improvements to governance and control, and the consequences for suppliers and employees involved in misconduct and corruption.

Scopa chairman Songezo Zibi said: "We appreciate that turning around an institution such as Eskom takes time, and the progress made in reducing the projected annual losses, improvements to governance and control systems, and eliminating loadshedding for most of this current year. However, we remain concerned about Eskom's financial viability, growing municipal debt expected to be nearly R100 billion by March next year, the length of time it takes to remove rogue suppliers, and the slow pace of vetting staff in critical positions."

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The committees want a solution for recovering the R85 billion owed by municipalities to the power utility.

Eskom expects the municipal debt to increase to R128 billion by March 2026 if municipalities continue to receive electricity without repaying the outstanding debt.

The committees pointed out that while they want the municipal debt owed to Eskom serviced, it must be done without putting further financial strain on ordinary South Africans through electricity tariff increases.

Furthermore, the committees demanded answers from management on the withdrawals from the R254 billion debt relief from the government and the power utility's ability to comply with all the conditions set out by Parliament in its debt relief arrangements.

Zibi said Scopa plans to engage the minister of electricity on the "take or pay" agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that place a financial burden on Eskom when its coal fleet performance can produce the required power.