Johannesburg | Friday 11.00am.
Zimbabwe’s electricity debt to Eskom has hit R126.9m some of which is more than three months over due and concern is rising that South Africa will be left bearing its northern neighbour’s debt burden.
Zimbabwe is under contract to pay its power supply account within 45 days but some payments are already 118 days behind.
Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe said that R47.71m of the Eskom debt was in arrears at the end of May.
This is not the first time that Zimbabwe has had problems paying its debts. In November last year, a special debt payment was signed where the R88.5m owed would be paid off in 24 equal instalments. But by May 30 Zimbabwe was already in arrears, with R 75.37m still outstanding in terms of the agreement.
Added to this amount is a further debt of R4.95m accumulated between August and December last year.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel will be asked after the parliamentary recess to set out the extent of South Africa’s economic aid to Zimbabwe and the effects it would have on the South African economy.