A battle over amounts has erupted after the Mpumalanga government complex, including the office of the province’s number one citizen, Premier Mandla Ndlovu, was plunged into darkness over an unpaid electricity bill.
The DA in Mpumalanga raised the alarm on Tuesday when the power was cut at the provincial government headquarters in Mbombela.
The 90 000m² complex, under the provincial department of public works, is a key point and normally immune to loadshedding.
However, unlike tertiary hospitals, Rob Ferreira is a regional hospital and does not have the same exemption.
The DA claims the power cuts were ordered by the Mbombela local municipality because the department of public works owes over R5.5-billion in unpaid rates and taxes.
The party implied that money owed for electricity is equivalent to building the R1-billion Mbombela Stadium five times over.
Teboho Sekaledi, the DA’s spokesperson on public works in the provincial legislature, labelled the situation sad.
School could be next in line
“It is really sad that a provincial/national key point like the Mpumalanga legislature and essential services like hospitals can experience power outages that impact employees and patient care due to the incompetency of a single government department,” said Sekaledi.
The DA also claimed that schools in Mbombela could be next if the department fails to pay.
The party said the department has allegedly ignored letters of demand from the municipality since June 2024, forcing the city to take action.
However, provincial public works spokesperson Bongani Dlamini dismissed the claim that the department owes more than R5-billion, calling it “totally incorrect”.
“The outstanding debt for rates and taxes for the 2024/2025 financial year is R113-million. The department has already paid R61-million to the City of Mbombela this financial year,” Dlamini said.
He confirmed that discussions with the municipality were ongoing and that the matter had been escalated to the provincial treasury for resolution.
Municipalities enforce strict measures
The Mbombela local municipality has not responded to questions on the exact amount owed. The Mpumalanga government complex is not alone in the dark.
Mbombela’s move follows a decision by the Mangaung local municipality to switch off power to government buildings over unpaid electricity bills.
This signals a growing trend of municipalities enforcing strict measures against non-paying government departments.
At the time of publishing, Mbombela local municipality spokesperson Joseph Ngala had not responded to media questions.
Provincial health department spokesperson Dumisani Malamule acknowledged receipt of media questions on the impact of the power cuts at Rob Ferreira Hospital but was yet to respond.
