18 Gauteng hospitals not exempt from loadshedding

Despite promises that public hospitals would be exempt from loadshedding, this is not the case for 18 Gauteng hospitals.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko discloses this in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Nkomo-Ralehoko, the following hospitals are not exempt from loadshedding:

Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
Tembisa Hospital
Edenvale Hospital
Leratong Hospital
Pholosong Hospital
Far East Rand Hospital
Mamelodi Regional Hospital
Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital
South Rand Hospital
Bertha Gxowa Hospital
Heidelberg Hospital
Carletonville Hospital
Bheki Mlangeni Hospital
Sterkfontein Hospital
Tshwane Rehab Centre
Cullinan Rehab Centre
Sizwe Tropical and Disease Hospital
Oral Health Centre (x3) (Wits Oral Health Centre, Sefako Oral Health Centre and Pretoria Oral Health Centre)

This means that half of the province’s 36 public hospitals suffer from electricity cuts that cause the cancellation of hundreds of operations and the disruption of other medical procedures as well.

Doctors have complained that lives are lost when a critical procedure can’t be done or is delayed when there is no power.

Hospital generators are not designed to cope with frequent power cuts and can only provide emergency backup power that is insufficient for all hospital services.

You would think that the Health MEC would be doing everything in its power to speed up the exemption process, but all she says is that her department is “still in the process of negotiating with the relevant authority.”

This is not good enough. She needs to do far more to get all the parties involved, including Eskom and national and local governments, to speed up the exemption of all our hospitals.

Assets Attached: Emfuleni residents continue to endure bad service delivery while Eskom bill remains unpaid

Emfuleni residents are once again on the losing end of the stick when it comes to having a reliable supply of electricity from Eskom.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) owes Eskom R1,3 billion rand. To recoup this money, Eskom has now obtained a court order which has led to ELM’s assets being attached.

Furthermore, the State-Owned Entity (SOE) has also served ELM with a summons of R3.3 billion for the non-payment of its bulk electricity supply. To add further insult to injury the municipality is yet to file a plea outlining the reasons for non-payment.

It is very concerning that ELM is failing to honour its debt to Eskom. This money will assist the SOE in ensuring that regular maintenance is carried out so that the power grid remains stable.

However, because of the non-payment from this municipality, the further strain has now been put on Eskom.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), must come clean and admit that the strategy that they had put in place to turn this municipality is not working. This has now led to the administrator withdrawing.

COGTA must tell the residents of Emfuleni why they were satisfied with the turnaround strategy that was signed off and exactly what the reasons are that ELM is not paying the debt they owe to Eskom.

By having their assets attached, service delivery which is already not up to standard is now being put under more strain, depriving residents who diligently pay their rates and taxes of the services they deserve.

It is clear that a drastic change is needed in this municipality and the only way in which this can happen is if residents put a government in power that is committed to providing transparent governance and proper service delivery.

Prasa and Eskom’s bad management leaves Pretoria North railway commuters in the lurch

Rail commuters in Pretoria North were left stranded this morning due to the Passenger Railway Agency of South Africa (Prasa /Metrorail) trains not running.

The trains were resigned to their stations because Prasa did not pay their electricity bill resulting in Eskom cutting their power.

Commuters dependent on this crucial public transport daily were left in the lurch and forced to make alternate arrangements.

As a result, most of the commuters using rail on a daily basis had to arrive at work late or not at all if they were not able to afford alternatives.

The Mabopane-Pretoria, Saulsville-Pretoria and Pienaarspoort-Pretoria service has been affected by this move. One can only blame bad management on the side of Prasa for not settling their bill on time, or at least entering talks with Eskom to keep the electricity on.

Not only are commuters left stranded by the lack of electricity, but the Prasa infrastructure is also at risk. During the Covid-19 lockdown period Metrorail infrastructure was pillaged and each time the electricity is cut due to load-shedding or other events like credit control, a window of opportunity opens for criminals to steal electrical cables and other components.

Travelling by train is the most affordable mode of public transport available. This line not operating puts commuters in a precarious position, forcing them to fork out additional transport money that they can ill afford.

The DA proposes that Prasa should immediately make arrangements with Eskom to pay this debt as a matter of urgency so that the train line can become operational again.

Our rail system is a crucial cog in the public transport wheel for Gauteng. The DA wants to promote an expansion of rail services in the province so that more commuters can be moved effortlessly during peak hours on a safe and affordable transport mode.

Thousands of jobs on the line as Gauteng businesses lose a third of their revenue during load-shedding

Many businesses in Gauteng are suffering major financial losses because of the latest round of rolling blackouts implemented by Eskom across the country. 

Currently, stage 5 load-shedding is underway, which means that some businesses will be without electricity for at least 8 hours a day. This is a full workday, which means that businesses are only able to trade for a few hours at a time. 

There are at least 2 515 000 unemployed Gauteng residents, and this number is expected to increase by the end of the year because of load-shedding. 

According to some businesses the DA interacted with this week, they have lost about a third of their revenue which is not enough for them to be profitable over the last four days alone. 

No electricity means no trade, which in turn means that businesses are unable to break even so that they can at least pay their employees’ salaries on time. If the current electricity situation continues, both big and small businesses may be forced to retrench staff in a bid to keep their heads above water. 

The only solution to this situation is the political will to decrease the province’s reliance on Eskom by making use of Independent Power Producers (IPPs). 

We as the DA are proposing that Premier David Makhura and the relevant MEC engage with independent power producers in the province to help find a lasting solution.

The Gauteng government must go against the grain as set by the failing National government and do all that it can to ensure that we save jobs and ignite new energy into the economy, by providing uninterrupted, reliable electricity to residents and businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DA-governed Johannesburg will switch off power to e-Toll gantries

Note to Editors: The following remarks were made today at a media briefing by DA Mayoral Candidate for Johannesburg, Cllr Mpho Phalatse.

Any Mayor of a municipality has a responsibility to protect their residents, especially when it comes to their interests of basic service delivery. It is evident that a Mayor like Mpho Moerane, who was caught out lying this past weekend about Johannesburg residents being protected from loadshedding, is not in the business of being a responsible Mayor.

Should I be elected to serve as Mayor of Johannesburg after these elections, I intend on being a responsible Mayor for the residents by ensuring effective service delivery.

The DA has been informed that the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), the custodian of the e-Tolls system and their gantries across the province, are currently in arrears with City Power.

Where gantries exist in City Power supply areas, City Power is currently supplying them with electricity. In a normal circumstance, SANRAL should be paying the bills for this service.

But with SANRAL in arrears, it means the City of Johannesburg is not receiving revenue for this service, and the cost to keep these gantries on is being footed to the residents of Johannesburg.

Should the DA be elected to govern Johannesburg, we will switch off the electricity supply to e-Toll gantries in City Power supply areas such as on William Nicol Drive and in Rivonia, effectively collapsing the e-Toll system in strategic nodes, based on non-payment by SANRAL. We cannot allow the residents of Johannesburg to suffer any further from a shortage of services, because national government is failing to take responsibility and pay their bills.

It is unfair for local governments to bail out national government at the expense of service delivery. The non-payment by SANRAL shortchanges City Power with much needed revenue to fix ageing and broken down infrastructure. With less revenue, it is the residents of Johannesburg who suffer outages that last up to weeks because City Power does not have enough funding to clear their own infrastructure backlog. This lost revenue could have also been directed towards procurement of electricity from independent power producers to start freeing residents from loadshedding.

Currently, Joburg residents are not getting value for money for services. Despite some residents dutifully paying their rates and levies, there are constant power outages across the City. As Mayor, I will have the responsibility to ensure that basic services are delivered, and all municipal funds are used responsibly.

Municipalities get their revenue from various sources including, rates and levies, division of revenue, and grants from other tiers of government. However, when a municipality does not get revenue from these sources, it has a terribly negative effect on service delivery – especially because municipalities plan budgets based on what sources of revenue they anticipate to receive.

In many instances such as in the case of SANRAL, national and provincial government utilise services provided by the City of Johannesburg like electricity and water. Whether these are government departments or entities, they are expected to pay their rates and levies for any services used.

Therefore, we will not stop at SANRAL. A DA-led Johannesburg will clamp down on the culture of non-payment across all services, for any provincial or national departments, entities, and companies that are in debt to the City. Revenue is the lifeblood of basic service delivery, and we will not allow the residents to suffer anymore.

The revenue that belongs to the City of Johannesburg must be paid to the City of Johannesburg. Service delivery must be restored. It is only a DA government that will get things done in the City of Gold.

DA calls on Mayor Moerane to resign after Eskom and City Power expose him as a liar

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg notes the stunning turn of events where City Power and Eskom have smacked down Mayor Mpho Moerane’s misleading lies, and have exposed him as a political gimmick, after this morning’s sudden announcement that City customers will no longer be protected from loadshedding.

Following Eskom’s implementation of stage 2 loadshedding last week, Moerane stated that the City of Johannesburg rejected loadshedding, claiming that City Power had the capacity to protect residents from stages 1 and 2. This was very shortly followed by City Power announcing the Joburg loadshedding schedule, only to then retract and state that City customers would be protected from loadshedding. Despite this, residents across the City were still switched off according to the schedule.

This was absolutely nothing more than a cheap, shallow and inconsiderate election stunt by the ANC. In a media statement yesterday, I exposed this lie and laid bare the facts of how it was impossible for City Power to offset loadshedding using additional supply from the Kelvin Power Station.

The confusion around whether residents would experience loadshedding or not, was unnecessary and selfish. This once again proves the ANC’s inability to govern effectively, and rely only on blatant election lies as a last ditch effort to win votes.

The DA calls on Mayor Moerane to resign for this terrible failure of responsible leadership. This is not a man worthy of the role of Mayor.

A DA Johannesburg will take charge of electricity supply – without ratepayers paying more to bail out Eskom

The Democratic Alliance (DA) rejects the misleading information circulated this weekend about its position on energy supply in Johannesburg.

It seeks to play off communities against one another for media headlines.

The DA supports local government taking charge of electricity supply and ending the failed Eskom model.

This includes stable, economically advantageous electricity provision to areas such as Soweto, Ivory Park, Orange Farm and Sandton.

This can be done with a fair, best practice, cross-subsidisation funding model suitable to a local government driving economic growth across the city.

In no uncertain terms, will the DA support any proposal where Sandton or other Johannesburg residents are subjected to higher electricity rates to further bail out Eskom’s mess such as of ballooning debt and backlog of ageing infrastructure.

ANC corruption has destroyed the City’s finances and created a backlog of basic services while resulting in many unnecessary job losses.

That is why the DA actively drives the procurement of electricity by municipalities from a diverse pool of independent power producers – as seen in the Western Cape where loadshedding is being directly addressed.

The competition among power producers can help drive down the costs of electricity rates for residents; ensure they can keep more money in their pockets and create economic growth and job creation.

This is exactly what the DA wants to get done in Johannesburg.

Any takeover of Eskom supply areas by City Power cannot be unconditional and no ANC mess will be passed onto the rate payers of the city.

Those that can afford to pay, must pay for their electricity; those who cannot afford to must be ably assisted – while jobs are created – illegal connections must be ended, and poor revenue collection and breakdown of infrastructure turned around.

Just like in Cape Town and elsewhere where we are clearly a model party of good government, the DA will get things done in the City of Gold.

Darkness to descend on Merafong as Eskom set to implement 14 hours rolling blackouts per day

Merafong residents face the imminent threat of 14 hours of blackouts per day if the municipality fails to draft an acceptable repayment plan for the millions of Rands it owes to Eskom.

As of July 2019, the outstanding amount owed to the power utility amounted to R53 million.

This is the same municipality that lost R50 million of public funds through the illegal investment with VBS.

It is no secret that Merafong has not implemented adequate financial controls to stem this unabated rising debt. Collection rates are exceptionally low, and the municipality is fighting a losing battle against illegal electricity connections.

In 2017, former Gauteng Finance MEC, Barbara Creecy indicated that the Gauteng Provincial Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) would be assisting ailing local municipalities with recovery plans.

It is abundantly clear that these recovery plans amount to nothing more than rhetoric with little implementation.

Yesterday, Gauteng MEC for COGTA, Lebogang Maile indicated that his department would be setting up a commission to investigate and intervene in the affairs of failing municipalities.

MEC Maile indicated that in the case of Merafong, the Department would implement Section 154 of the Constitution to develop a draft recovery plan with the assistance of the departments of Economic Development, Treasury and Mineral Resources.

However well-intentioned the MEC’s announcement, it is too little too late for the residents of Merafong who will likely be subjected to mass load-shedding come Friday 23 August 2019.

Merafong and its residents have, for far too long, been ill treated by the Council who have sought to enrich themselves by emptying the public purse.

If MEC Maile is genuine in his concern for the wellbeing of Merafong, he must urgently liaise with Eskom and take strong action against those who have brought the municipality to its knees.

As done in the DA run Western Cape, well performing municipalities are rewarded with additional grant funding. This should be emulated in Gauteng instead of continually bailing out failing municipalities who habitually waste valuable public money.

Kelvin Power Station a way to bypass Eskom and #KeepTheLightsOn

Today, I visited the Kelvin Power Station in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni. This power station is privately owned and is currently providing electricity to some of the municipalities in Gauteng, despite Eskom’s rolling blackouts.

The current energy crisis, according to Minister Gordhan, will take up to two years to ‘fix’, despite government not having a clear picture of what the problems are, nor how to solve them. All this while our province’s businesses are being crippled, hospitals are unable to provide critical services and crime soars!

We have to take our ‘power’ back. We need to start thinking of ways of bypassing Eskom so as to make sure that the residents of this province have a reliable source of electricity.

We can no longer rely on government to keep the lights on. Eskom needs to be privatized and its monopoly broken up by allowing private power utility companies to enter the market. This effectively means that the Eskom Fat Cats will no longer be fed.

A DA government in Gauteng will leverage Joburg and Tshwane’s existing generating licenses to bring more generation capacity on board through private power suppliers. At the same time, we will work with the metros to restore decommissioned power stations to lessen the province’s dependency on Eskom.

The DA’s solution for #KeepingTheLightsOn is the only way to ensure Gauteng and its economy is no longer held to ransom by Eskom and the ANC government.

Power cuts hit Gauteng Hospitals

Gauteng hospitals and clinics have been hit by Eskom load-shedding in the past week, with some generators failing and operations being cancelled as full functions cannot take place even with generator power.

Helen Joseph Hospital suffered a failed generator in the Emergency Department which led to severe problems as x-rays could not be done and blood could not be processed.

At other hospitals, there is discomfort with dark corridors and elective surgery has been limited to some degree as there is a risk that the generators could fail.

At the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital surgeons are reluctant to do longer operations as the batteries on anaesthetic machines only last for 90 minutes.

Patient administration is affected as computers go down and manual systems have to be used instead.

I am concerned that some hospitals and clinics do not have enough diesel for long-term use of generators.

At Badirile clinic in Randfontein the diesel ran out and nurses were told to contribute their own money to buy diesel.

Diesel is expensive and the Department has not budgeted for it, so it will squeeze out other vitally needed expenditure.

Waiting lists for operations will lengthen and there will be a higher risk for patients if Eskom continues to fail in providing a reliable electricity supply.