City asks Eskom not to close its service hubs
26 June 2024
It has come to the City’s attention that Eskom intends to permanently close its community service centres “service hubs” from 28 June 2024.
On 14 June, during the last quarterly bilateral meeting between the City and Eskom, I expressed my concern about the closure plans and the impact on customers in Eskom-supply areas.
It is our expressed view that the permanent closure of service hubs without adequate measures in place for all communities will affect access to electricity services for many Cape Town residents, particularly for the most vulnerable communities who rely on Eskom’s frontline services.
In the recent Eskom and City meeting, the City was informed that Eskom intends on ramping up public education on its Alfred chatbot for fault reporting and that there would be a USSD code option for customers who do not have access to the Alfred chatbot. While we welcome those measures in principle, the City is not convinced that they will provide sufficient access to all communities.
The City has seen a notable increase in Eskom-related complaints to City customer channels and many of our elected public representatives as well as City staff end up grappling with those service requests, often having to appease irate communities for Eskom-matters. The City believes the permanent closure of service hubs could not only worsen the situation, but could also lead to public unrest. It is within that context that we ask for an immediate suspension of Eskom’s decision to close service hubs from 28 June 2024.
The City remains committed to working with Eskom in areas of common interest, particularly as it relates to public services and the discussion on electricity supply boundaries. It is our firm belief that by working together, we can do more for all residents and in that spirit, I would like to request an urgent meeting with you to discuss Eskom’s decision to permanently close its service hubs.
City supplied areas vs Eskom supply
Some areas in the metro are supplied with electricity directly by Eskom and others by the City. This is not something which is determined by the City but under national legislation. While the City values service delivery to residents, there are limits to what the City or its representatives can achieve, as Eskom is a national entity and does not fall within the control of the City. The supply areas are established under the National Electricity Regulation Act via the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) issued Distribution Licences. The Eskom distribution licence defines the Eskom supply area within the City and the City's distribution licence defines the City's supply area.
The City notes Eskom’s public statement that it intends to pursue a South African Local Government Association process relating to a framework regarding supply areas nationally. The City believes this is aligned to what is needed in Cape Town, and will continue to engage Eskom regarding initiating a feasibility study to set out the scenarios for potential handover of supply areas in the metro.
Issued by Media Office, City of Cape Town, 26 June 2024
