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Last week, Parliament convened a meeting of the Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings to hear the petition of more than 5,000 residents of Emfuleni.

The petition relates to the constant breakdowns of electrical supply in Emfuleni and the unwillingness of Eskom to fulfil their mandate of electricity supply, even demanding residents pay for transformers or sign acknowledgement of debt forms for the replacement of transformers which have been stolen or vandalised by unknown persons.

Eskom is abdicating their responsibility and making residents pay for their failure to secure their network. The result is protracted periods without electricity, some lasting 2 years or more.

The petition was submitted by Dennis Ryder MP  on behalf of Kingsol Chabalala MPL and more than 5,000 signatories, and was due to be heard during the committee meeting.

However, as the meeting got underway, it was noted that Eskom was not, and members of the committee raised their concerns at the lack of respect for Parliamentary processes and the petitioners.  The failure by Eskom to present themselves to elected representatives of the people of South Africa to give account for their actions is a shameful display of arrogance.

The Democratic Alliance calls on the Chair of the Committee to take the matter up with the Minister of Public Enterprises, and to ensure that a follow-up meeting is held as a matter of urgency with the presence of Eskom guaranteed, even if this means that a formal summons must be issued.

Issued by Rikus Badenhorst MP - DA member on Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings