Emfuleni Municipality Seeks Another Eskom Debt Write-Off
The cash-strapped Emfuleni Local Municipality wants National Treasury once again to write off a portion of its debt to Eskom, reports EWN. The municipality owed Eskom R8 billion due to unpaid electricity bills before Treasury scrapped a portion of the debt. Treasury wrote off nearly R2 billion of this debt after applying for the debt relief programme. The embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality believes it meets the National Treasury’s criteria to qualify for another debt write-off. Finance MMC Hassan Mako said that talks with authorities are underway to reduce what it owes the power utility. The municipality recently landed in trouble again over another outstanding debt owed to Rand Water.
Police Operations Failing to Address Root Cause of Illegal Mining
The Bench Marks Foundation has said that illegal mining is an economic problem that police cannot address, reports SABC News. It comes as police intensify Operation Val’ Umgodi, which aims to eradicate illegal mining. Critics say the operation is failing to address the underlying issue and identify the kingpins. Researcher David van Wyk said that many illegal miners are former mine workers who were retrenched without proper pension payouts. He said that when mines close, workers often lose both their jobs and legal status, leaving them stranded in informal settlements without pensions or unemployment benefits.
Whites-Only Settlement of Kleinfontein Faces Demolition Threat from Tshwane
Leaders of the whites-only Afrikaner settlement Kleinfontein, east of Pretoria, say they are disappointed by the City of Tshwane’s decision to take them to court and threaten demolition, reports EWN. The municipality served the settlement with a court notice, compelling it to file a new spatial planning and land use management application to supplement an outdated one filed in 2013. Kleinfontein is one of 17 settlements that the capital deems illegal and not zoned for township establishments. Community spokesperson Dannie de Beer said the new application would be costly and accused Tshwane of targeting Kleinfontein unfairly instead of engaging in dialogue.
More South African news
