GOVT DEPTS IN BLACKOUT OVER E65M EEC BILLS

MANZINI – Power cuts, driven by the EEC’s disconnection campaign targeting E65 million in unpaid bills, have plunged critical public services into disarray.

Magistrates courts and educational institutions among others, have been left reeling. The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), having issued a warning in January 2025 that disconnections would commence for overdue accounts between February 20 and March 31, 2025 intensified its operations yesterday. The company’s message was clear: settle outstanding bills, or face the consequences. Negotiations were off the table.

The Judiciary, under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, felt the immediate impact, with magistrates courts in Manzini, Mbabane and Nhlangano plunged into darkness. The Ministry of Education and Training also suffered, as power was severed at institutions like William Pitcher College in Manzini. Dr Ntombifuthi Mhlongo, Principal of William Pitcher College, confirmed the disconnection, expressing shock given their records indicated the debt had been cleared.

“We were shocked when they cut the power yesterday morning,” she stated, adding that a subsequent reconciliation revealed the issue was purportedly due to accumulated interest. The EEC later promised reconnection. Government ministries’ quarterly reports reveal the administration as a major culprit, with an estimated E26 million in overdue bills.

An anonymous economic analyst warned of wider repercussions, especially with the impending eight per cent electricity tariff increase on April 1, 2025. “If defaulting customers don’t pay, and EEC’s costs from Eskom increase, the country could face severe power shortages and load shedding,” the analyst cautioned.

Prompt

EEC’s Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager, Khaya Mavuso, defended the disconnections, stating that the E65 million debt was compromising service delivery. “We are trying to recover about E65 million owed by post-paid customers,” he said, appealing for prompt payment.
Mduduzi Gina, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUCOSWA), criticised the government’s prioritisation, comparing the situation to the recurring delays in funding free primary education and support for vulnerable children.

“This is a sign of failure to prioritise,” he asserted. In the past, the public was deprived of government services such that in Mankayane, all government establishments were, for a week, without electricity in recent years.

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