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It is a bit of a tired social media joke, but the end of this month is the perfect time for folks to say: "January was a long year, but we made it."
For young professionals and those with family to take care of, the beginning of the year is the ultimate test of stamina and resolve to keep the wheels of life turning with limited resources.
In the past month, folks have looked at the illuminated gas light in their car, hoping they could drive a bit longer, since the next visit to the petrol station was a long way off. Some have jokingly suggested tying up the plastic bag carrying a loaf of bread in the kitchen with a padlock to avoid waste, or substituting their favourite luxury spread with a tub of the toddler's flavoured yoghurt (while they are not looking, of course).
Like many who juggle finances during the month of Janu-worry, Eskom is learning just what a liability debt can be for a creditor, when the debtor shows little ability or desire to honour their obligation to repay.
The power utility has been talking tough to municipalities about unpaid debt for electricity provided for years now. From the end of last year, residents in various communities have seen Eskom personnel in their areas disconnecting homes where meters were tampered with or bills left unpaid. Late last year the utility's former chairperson, Jabu Mabuza, said total municipal debt could approach R30bn by the end of 2019.
Eskom, in its own right, is a debtor, in no small way. The beleaguered power utility has a debt anchor of R450bn wrapped around its ankle.
The utility has also become a victim of its own success, in that when load shedding became a common feature in South African lives, Eskom succeeded in convincing South Africans to reduce their consumption.
This came with the consequence of sliding revenues. To address that, the utility has constantly campaigned for tariff increases from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to make up for the dip in revenue.
This is often resisted by consumers, and has recently been punctuated with companies announcing retrenchment processes and blaming rising tariffs for the financial troubles that necessitate the job cuts.
Homes cannot function. Businesses bleed money. Jobs vanish in the ether of candlelit evenings. But during the time this has happened, Eskom has made a small pack of individuals very rich indeed.
McKinsey gave Eskom a R902m apology in 2018 for its role in providing overpriced consulting services to the utility.
Newly appointed Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has committed to coming to grips with the growing portion of Eskom's R140bn procurement bill that goes towards purchasing coal and diesel.
These signs are all welcome, but are no-brainers for South Africans hoping for days when they have a reliable and cheap power supply to help them get on with life, work towards their aspirations and show up to a date with a clean, well-groomed head of hair, for once.
It's been six months since the Constitutional Court ruled that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe must pay back a R30m undue pension pay-out that the utility made to him.
As recently as this week, South Africans have learned that the utility's pension and provident fund is still waiting for this money.
One would be hard pressed to find a South African that would argue that Eskom's need for money to keep running cannot be casually dismissed.
But South Africans have also engaged the utility in good faith and gotten their fingers burnt for all their troubles.
Collecting on debts from those that unduly got windfall after windfall from the utility would go a long way to restoring consumers' faith in the only large scale power provider they have.
