Despite being earmarked by Eskom for possible disconnection, Midrand and Randburg are among the City Power areas with the least debt.
Johannesburg’s municipal stresses have been given room to breathe but City Power’s ledger is still swollen.
Eskom’s recent threat to cut Johannesburg’s power sent the city’s residents into a mild panic, voicing their frustrations at being punished despite paying their bills.
To bridge the gap temporarily, Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa stepped in on 11 November to broker a R1.4 billion payment from the city of gold to the national power utility.
The City of Johannesburg’s municipal footprint is split into eight regions — A to G — with City Power operating eight service delivery centres, formerly known as depots.
While the SDCs lightly mirror their respective regions, there is some overlapping, most notably with areas near the CBD.
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In their public notice issued on 8 November, Eskom earmarked four substations that were targeted for “termination or disconnection”.
Two of those substations fall under the Midrand SDC, one in Randburg and the other on the fringes of the Johannesburg CBD.
Eskom did not specify why these areas were singled out, however, City Power revealed to The Citizen that Midrand and Randburg have among the lowest debt levels registered with the city.
Region-by-region debt levels
City Power furnished The Citizen with the most recent debt levels of consumers within the SDC footprints.
Including a limited sample of the suburbs they cover, here are the amounts each SDC is indebted to City Power:
- Inner City SDC (Braamfontein, Doornfontein, Hillbrow, Jeppestown, Joubert Park, Marshalltown, Newtown, Berea, Yeoville) : R2.72 billion
- Reuven SDC (Booysens, Mondeor, Robertsham, Kibler Park, Naturena, Eikenhof, Ormonde, Glenvista, Turfontein) : R2.2 billion
- Hursthill SDC (Industria, Westbury, Bosmont, Parkhurst, Roosevelt Park, Forrest Town, Melville) : R1.52 billion
- Lenasia SDC (Vlakfontein, Lenasia South, Hopefield, Ennerdale, Nancefield, Grasmere) : R851.4 million
- Roodepoort SDC (Florida, Fleurhof, Matholesville, Kloofendal, Constantia Kloof, Weltevreden Park, Ruimsig) : R784.3 million
- Randburg SDC (Ferndale, Bromfof, Randpark, Bryanston, Kya Sand, Northriding, Olivedale, Sundowner) : R664.8 million
- Alexandra SDC (Cydna, Melrose Arch, Illovo, Rosebank, Houghton, Far East Bank, Wynberg Kew, Lombardy West) : R482.8 million
- Midrand SDC (Noordwyk, Allandale, Vorna Valley, Randjiespark, Mayibuye, Waterfall City) : R352.4 million
Soweto debt
Despite Soweto — Region D — falling under the City of Johannesburg’s municipal footprint, the area is serviced directly by Eskom.
It was reported in 2023 that a scrapping of Soweto’s debt was being considered, with that figure estimated at R4 billion.
Eskom were contacted on 11 November with a request for the area’s debt levels but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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