Eskom starts unplugging in Soweto: Thousands set to be affected

- Eskom is clamping down on Soweto residents who fail to cover their electricity bills

- Non-paying and illegally connected citizens are starting to get kicked off the grid

- Thousand of households in the region are set to be affected by the state-owned entity's motion

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Sowetan residents are facing a game of hardball with Eskom with the power utility clamping down.

A News24 report detailed how thousands of homes would be impacted as non-paying consumers, as well as those who 'interfere' with meters, get removed from the grid.

While the utility attempts to tackle mounting technical challenges and financial woes, it seems as if it is hoping to recoup some of the losses incurred in the sprawling Gauteng area.

Briefly.co.za reported that CEO Andre de Ruyter had been called in to being his tenure on Christmas Day at Cabinet's request.

With Soweto responsible for the majority of South Africa's municipal debt ( currently at R25.1 billion in total), residents are adamant that they simply cannot cover the R20 billion owed.

READ ALSO: Eskom's R745 million corruption scandal: More arrests expected soon

ANC members in the region feel that a flat rate would help begin encouraging regular payments, however, Eskom isn't convinced special treatment is the answer.

The state-owned entity is heading to court in the hopes of approval for a 17.1% price hike for the next financial year.

With a massive debt burden to shoulder, Eskom is looking to increase tariffs in a bid to ease the situation.

With the nation's leadership encouraging citizens to move away from the culture of non-payment, it seems unlikely that Soweto will manage to negotiate its way out of this predicament.

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Source: Briefly News