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COURT ORDERS ESKOM TO RESTORE ELECTRICITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
The North Gauteng High Court Acting Judge Anthony has ordered Eskom, south Africa power distributor to restore full maximum electricity supply to several areas in the Free State and Mpumalanga provinces immediately.
Eskom was taking to court by the Applicants, the Vaal River Development Association, which represented communities in Parys and Vredefort in the Ngwathe municipality, and Lekwa Ratepayers’ Association NPC, which represented residents of Standerton, Sakhile, Meyerville and surrounds in the Lekwa Municipality.
According to both complaint, Eskom was reducing electricity supply and this had resulted in an “unfolding human and environmental catastrophe”, with adverse affects on business, government departments, old age homes, hospitals and private citizens.
Vaal River said the sewage reticulation system, had resulted in untreated sewage of about 200,000 people flowing into the Vaal River system at a point above the place where the drinking water for the municipality was extracted.
Meanwhile, Eskom opposed the application, claiming that it had a contractual relationship with the municipalities. If there were any issues regarding sewage, the residents must sort that out with their local authorities.
Delivering his final verdict, Judge Miller said ‘The supply of electricity is the cornerstone upon which all the realisation of rights is based. Homes cannot be built … water cannot be pumped, sewerage reticulation cannot operate. Healthcare requires running water and electricity,”
He granted a punitive cost order against Eskom saying “most telling” was its indifference to the consequences of supply reduction once these were brought to its attention.
Source: Groundup
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