Sakeliga eis dat Eskom onmiddellik onwettige strafkrag staak
Sakeliga het ‘n ultimatum vervat in ‘n brief aan Eskom gestuur waarin hulle eis dat strafkrag (geteikende kragvermindering) onmiddellik gestaak word omdat dit veral boere en die sakegemeenskap benadeel.
RSG gesels Sondag in My Mooi Dorp met Sakeliga woordvoerder Tian Alberts oor die stand van sake.
As jy al ooit deur strafkrag geraak is, luister Sondag 15:00 na RSG.
Besoek Sakeliga: https://sakeliga.co.za/
Kontak Sakeliga: https://sakeliga.co.za/kontak-ons/
4 Aug 2022 -Sakeliga het gister ‘n aanmaning aan Eskom gestuur om die toepassing van onwettige lasvermindering, oftewel strafkrag, stop te sit. Sakeliga werk saam met Agri Noord-Wes en TLU SA om in belang van geaffekteerde lede van die drie organisasies in Noord-Wes en Limpopo, die onwettige implementering van lasvermindering stop te sit. Die geaffekteerde lede is meestal boere en klein besighede in landelike gebiede.
Lasvermindering, wat onderskei moet word van die nasionale beurtkragprogram, is ‘n onlangse praktyk waarmee Eskom elektrisiteitstoevoer op geteikende toevoerlyne vir ure aaneen heeltemal staak. Die rede hiervoor is oënskynlik om te verhoed dat die netwerk in hoë-digtheidgebiede, waar daar talle onwettige aansluitings is, oorlaai word en skade aan netwerkinfrastruktuur aangerig word.
Alhoewel die Wet op Regulering van Elektrisiteit voorsiening maak vir ‘n vorm van lasvermindering, mag dit nooit ‘n volledige staking van elektrisiteitstoevoer behels nie maar slegs ‘n gepaste vermindering in lasgrootte. Gebruikers moet ook deeglik vooraf in kennis gestel word. Eskom tree onwettig op deur elektrisiteitstoevoer op geteikende lyne heeltemal te staak en in baie gevalle nie redelike vooraf-kennisgewing te bied nie.
Sakeliga, Agri Noord-Wes en TLU SA merk ook op dat dit gereeld landbouplase en kleiner organisasies, wat nie binne hoë-digtheid gebiede val nie, is wat aan voortdurende elektrisiteitstoevoeronderbrekings onderwerp word. Daarby beweer Eskom al vir maande dat lasvermindering ‘n tussentydse maatreël is vir tyd en wyl ‘n oudit op geïdentifiseerde toevoerlyne gedoen word sodat netwerkverliese tot ‘n aanvaarbare vlak verminder kan word. Dit kom egter voor of die voorgenome oudits nie gedoen word soos vooraf ooreengekom word met die boere nie, en dat Eskom nie beplan om binnekort lasvermindering te staak nie.
Sakeliga glo dat Eskom die weg van minste weerstand probeer volg deur eerder betalende eindgebruikers aan elektrisiteitsonderbrekings onder die vaandel van lasvermindering te onderwerp, as om onwettige aansluitings op toevoerlyne daadwerklik uit die weg te ruim. Sodoende belemmer Eskom die vermoë van sy direkte en betalende eindgebruikers – veral landbouplase – om hul ondernemings te bedryf. Daarby word onherstelbare skade aan produksietoerusting aangerig weens onbeplande kragonderbrekings, en sukkel eienaars om sekuriteitsmaatreëls in reeds onveilige gebiede op hul persele te handhaaf.
Eskom se optrede in hierdie verband is onaanvaarbaar, sowel as onwettig, en moet teen erkende regsbeginsels getoets word. Sakeliga het in die onlangse verlede suksesvol regstappe teen Eskom gedoen, juis weens die ongegronde benadeling van betalende eindgebruikers.* Dit word nou weer nodig om regstappe teen Eskom te doen.
Ons eis daarom in gister se aanmaningskrywe dat Eskom binne 10 dae skriftelik onderneem om alle voorgenome oudits op geïdentifiseerde toevoerlyne binne drie maande af te handel. Eskom moet ook binne tien dae onderneem dat strafkrag onmiddellik gestaak sal word en dat hangende die afhandeling van die oudits, lasvermindering slegs volgens wetlike voorskrifte geïmplementeer sal word. In besonder mag lasvermindering nooit ‘n werklike staking van elektrisiteitstoevoer behels nie.
By gebreke van dienooreenkomstige ondernemings van Eskom, sal Sakeliga die Hooggeregshof in Pretoria nader vir gepaste regshulp.
Besighede en persone wat lasvermindering ervaar, word aangemoedig om hul besonderhede hier te voorsien.
*By name, in 2018 in Musina waar Eskom elektrisiteitstoevoer aan onder andere betalende eindgebruikers wou staak weens ‘n dispuut tussen Eskom en die munisipaliteit oor ‘n eskalerende skuldrekening. In die daaropvolgende en aparte Resilient-saak in die Hoogste Hof van Appèl het Sakeliga as vriend van die hof submissies gemaak dat nóg Eskom nóg enige ander staatsinstelling eindgebruikers mag benadeel weens ‘n dispuut tussen staatsorgane. Die hof het saamgestem met Sakeliga se argumente, en daarvolgens beslis.
Uitgereik deur:
Tian Alberts
Regs- en Skakelbeampte,
Sakeliga
4 Aug 2022 -Sakeliga yesterday sent a letter of demand to Eskom to stop the application of illegal load reduction, i.e. targeted power cuts. Sakeliga is working together with Agri North-West and TLU SA to stop the illegal implementation of load reduction in the interest of affected members of the three organizations in North-West and Limpopo. The affected members are mostly farmers and small businesses in rural areas.
Illegal load reduction, which must be distinguished from the national load shedding program, is a recent practice whereby Eskom completely curbs electricity supply on targeted feeding lines for hours at a time. The reason for this is allegedly to avoid overloading the network in high-density areas, where there are many illegal connections, and causing damage to network infrastructure.
Although the Electricity Regulation Act provides for a form of load reduction, this may never entail a complete cessation of electricity supply, but only an appropriate reduction in load. Users must also be informed reasonably in advance. Eskom is acting illegally by completely curbing electricity supply on targeted lines and in many cases not providing notice in advance.
Sakeliga, Agri North-West and TLU SA also note that it is often agricultural farms and smaller organisations, which do not fall within high-density areas, that are subjected to continuous electricity supply interruptions. In addition, Eskom has been claiming for months that load reduction is an interim measure while an audit is carried out on identified supply lines so that network losses can be reduced to an acceptable level. However, it appears that the intended audits are not carried out as previously agreed with the affected persons, and that Eskom does not plan to stop load reduction anytime soon.
Sakeliga believes that Eskom is trying to follow the path of least resistance by subjecting paying end-users to electricity interruptions under the guise of load reduction, rather than actually eliminating illegal connections to supply lines. In doing so, Eskom hinders the ability of its direct and paying end-users – especially agricultural farms – to operate their businesses. In addition, unplanned power outages cause irreparable damage to production equipment, and owners struggle to maintain security measures on their premises in already unsafe areas.
Eskom’s actions in this regard are unacceptable, as well as illegal, and must be tested against recognized legal principles. Sakeliga successfully took legal action against Eskom in the recent past, precisely because of the unfounded prejudice caused to paying end users. * It may now again be necessary again to initiate legal action against Eskom.
We therefore demand in yesterday’s letter that Eskom undertakes in writing within 10 days to complete all proposed audits on identified supply lines within three months. Eskom must also undertake within ten days that illegal electricity cuts will be ceased immediately and that pending the completion of the audits, load reduction will only be implemented in accordance with legal prescripts. In particular, load reduction may never entail an actual cessation of electricity supply.
In the absence of according undertakings from Eskom, Sakeliga will approach the High Court in Pretoria for appropriate remedies.
Businesses and individuals experiencing load reduction are encouraged to provide their details here.
*Namely, in 2018 in Musina where Eskom wanted to stop electricity supply to, among others, paying end users due to a dispute between Eskom and the municipality over an escalating debt account. In the subsequent and separate Resilient case in the Supreme Court of Appeal, Sakeliga made submissions as friend of the court that neither Eskom nor any other state institution may prejudice end users due to a dispute between organs of state. The court agreed with Sakeliga’s arguments, and ruled accordingly.
Issued by:
Tian Alberts
Legal and Liaison Officer,
Sakeliga
