Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes that in the state of the province address by the Premier of the Free State, according to the 2009-10 survey released by the SA Institute of Race Relations, the number of households in the province receiving free electricity as a proportion of the total households in the Free State was determined at 63,1%, which means nearly two thirds of the province do not pay for electricity;
(2) further notes that various municipalities in the Free State that should be generating income from the supply of electricity owe millions of rands to Eskom for electricity and are battling to pay their bills;
(3) realises that, with electricity bills due to consistently increase over the next four years, the amount owing by municipalities to Eskom is set to increase dramatically; and
(4) acknowledges that many households are using far more than their free quota of electricity, billing systems are mostly dysfunctional and drastic action will have to be taken soon.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.