Eskom paid, now what about Pikitup mess, Mr mayor?

The power will stay on, but what about the other service delivery issues and debt in the city of Johannesburg? The lights will stay on in Johannesburg after the city settled its R5.2bn debt to Eskom, with attention now turning to fixing other services. The payment was confirmed by the national power utility on Friday. “The City of Johannesburg (CoJ)/City Power (CP) has confirmed to Eskom that the current account in respect of July 2026, that falls due on 31 August 2026, of R1 860 379 885 will be paid on its due date. The CoJ/CP has further confirmed that it remains committed to the payment of all future current accounts on or before their respective due dates,” it added. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map It said it would now withdraw action against the city over the debt, including a Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) process. “We value the City of Johannesburg as a customer and we remain committed to a stable working relationship for the benefit of its residents and in turn, the economy, and our country. “We acknowledge the role of the Minister of Electricity and Energy in facilitating the establishment of the task team comprising leadership from the COJ, City Power, and Eskom that throughout has maintained an uninterrupted electricity supply to the residents and businesses of Johannesburg,” said Eskom’s Group Executive Distribution, Junaid Munshi. Now what. Mr Mayor? While the move was celebrated by city officials and the ANC, many residents pointed out that electricity issues were just one of the many problems plaguing the city. The Citizen has in recent weeks reported on paper shortages at key government offices and service centres, unreachable phone lines, and road repairs being placed on hold amid reported debt to service providers. Mayor Dada Morero acknowledged payments needed to be made, and said debt owed was being worked on, to clear a backlog of service delivery delays. “We have instructed our finance department and affiliated entities to settle the outstanding debt owed to the service provider[s],” he told one resident. He also answered criticism of his administration’s role in the fiasco. “The city inherited a number of historical financial obligations accumulated over many years. What matters is that we are taking responsibility, restoring financial discipline, and paying what is owed. “Settling the Eskom debt is not a celebration of debt but rather a demonstration of responsible governance that protects residents and businesses from service disruptions while strengthening the City’s financial position. Our focus remains on fixing problems, not avoiding them.” Pikitup on his radar The city’s waste removal service, Pikitup has been it with multiple delays and recently needed Metro Police escorts when collecting bins, amid disruptions at their depots. Around 300 casual and contracted workers have been protesting their demands to be made permanent, leading to lengthy discussions and stop-start delivery. Morero, however, seemed to put the blame at management, and said it was the next key focus of his government. “The issue at Pikitup is not simply about the number of people we have. It is about management systems. I have consistently raised this matter, including with Pickitup management during engagements last December and again today [Friday]. We have enough resources, but we are not deploying them efficiently. He claimed once the right management systems are in place, residents will see “that the challenge is not a shortage of personnel, but how those resources are managed and deployed”. “Those discussions are ongoing, and I am confident we will see greater efficiency across the organisation. He reaffirmed that Pikitup and City Power will begin implementing a ring-fenced revenue model from September. “Around 70% of their revenue will be retained by the entities to manage their operations directly, while the remaining 30% will continue flowing through the City and be managed accordingly.”