N West schools get electricity back after municipal cut-off

The Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West has restored electricity to a number of schools and government departments. The local authorities disconnected electricity last week to a large number of their creditors due to non-payment.

Their acting CFO, Nthabeleng Moagi, told the SABC that they have an outstanding Eskom bill of R1.4 billion. She says following numerous requests to their creditors to pay their debt, they had no choice but to cut electricity.

The spokesperson for the North West Department of Education, Mphata Molokwane, says the affected departments are committed to address the outstanding payments to the municipality.

Moreover, electricity has been restored to five schools and two offices in the Ditsobotla local municipality, enhancing the learning environment.

The superintendent general Lengana Bogatsu held a meeting with representatives from affected schools and local authorities to address electricity cut-offs.

Affected schools previously faced negative impacts on performance and increased burglary risks. The department emphasised the need for regular account updates with the municipality to prevent these disconnections.