Johannesburg - Eskom was holding discussions with the government to try and prevent power cuts in 11 Free State municipalities in arrears, but details of the talks could not be disclosed, the provincial government said on Thursday.
"We are engaging Eskom with a view to address these issues," said Free State government spokesperson Wisani Ngobeni.
"We are not prepared to say what engagement (is taking place). We are talking to them."
Eskom said on Thursday that 200 municipalities throughout the country were in arrears. Of these, 93 were in the Free State.
Eskom spokesperson Andrew Etzinger said only 11 Free State municipalities were in danger of being disconnected.
The electricity parastatal on Wednesday notified these municipalities, which represent more than 50 towns, of its intention to cut their power if they failed to settle outstanding accounts before July 20.
"A lot of communities were affected by the recession and the result then is that... communities have not been able to pay their bills to municipalities," said Ngobeni. "The payment rate has been very low," he said.
This had affected municipalities' ability to collect enough money to pay Eskom, so municipalities had "an arrangement" with Eskom. "That is why Eskom is continuing to provide a service," he said.
Ngobeni said each municipality had a different arrangement.
He said Eskom and the government would have to look at ways of recovering money from people who owed municipalities.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance energy spokesman David Ross said the public protector was to launch an urgent intervention into the situation.
However, the office of the public protector was not immediately able to confirm this on Thursday.
Ross said that according to a parliamentary reply the total amount owed to Eskom by municipalities and metros across the country was R162.8m."
About R109.3m was owed by municipalities which had been served with notice of possible disconnection.
He said the situation was also being attended to by the provincial treasury and the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
"Intervention at this stage is absolutely imperative, and it is now for the ANC administrations, both in the national and provincial spheres, to act right away," he said.
The Free State municipalities in arrears are: Mangaung (Bloemfontein, Botshabelo), Ngwathe (Parys, Heilbron), Moqhaka (Kroonstad, Viljoenskroon), Matjhabeng (Welkom, Odendaalsrus), Masilonyana (Brandfort, Winburg), Mafube (Frankfort, Villiers), Nala (Bothaville, Wesselsbron) and Dihlabeng (Bethlehem, Fouriesburg), Kopanong (Bethulie, Phillipolis, Gariep), Mohokare (Zastron, Smithfield, Rouxville), and Naledi (De Wetsdorp, Wepener).
- Sapa