News

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release:

No embargo

CEDERBERG MUNICIPALITY RECIEVES R14.9 MILLION DEBT RELIEF FROM NATIONAL TREASURY

Cederberg, 7 May 2026 - The Cederberg Municipality has received official confirmation from National Treasury of a second debt relief write-off from Eskom, amounting to R14,977,807.48. This milestone achievement marks a significant step towards the municipality's financial sustainability and growth.

"We are pleased to announce that our commitment to financial discipline and responsible governance has yielded tangible results," said Azrial Scheepers, Executive Mayor. "This debt relief is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our municipal team and council. We remain committed to delivering quality services to our community and ensuring that Cederberg remains a place where people can live, work, and thrive."

The first debt relief write-off was approved on 16 January 2025 for the same value of R14,977,807.48, and this second write-off brings the total debt relief to R29,955,614.96. The municipality's commitment to complying with the conditions set out by Eskom and National Treasury for over two years has enabled it to reap these rewards, strengthening its financial position and allowing it to focus on improving service delivery to its community.

"This achievement underscores our municipality's commitment to good governance and financial discipline," said Gerrit Matthyse, Municipal Manager. "We have maintained stringent controls and credit control measures, enabling us to provide further assistance to our poor and indigent households. With the last 2 months of the 3rd year of the Eskom debt write-off process remaining, we are working diligently towards meeting the conditions for Eskom to write off the last R14 million, effectively eliminating the previous council's R47 million debt.

"The persistent improvement on quality reporting and governance principles undoubtedly will yield the results visible to others," said Jerome Booysen, Chief Financial Officer. "It's a privilege to manage a competent finance team which serves the community. We are grateful for the strategic support we get from the council; it makes doing our job much easier. We will continue to comply in order to successfully complete the programme and gain approval for the 3rd write-off."

The achievement is also a reflection of the municipality's commitment to transparency and accountability, as evidenced by the clean audit achieved by the municipality. This lays the platform for continued pursuit of a second consecutive clean audit.

Dr Ruben Richards, Deputy Mayor, echoed the sentiments, saying, "Congratulations to the municipal team on this outstanding achievement. This 2nd debt relief write-off is a testament to the municipality's commitment to good governance and financial discipline. I am proud of the team's efforts and look forward to continued success in our financial management initiatives."

The Cederberg Municipality is poised to become the first municipality in the country to complete the Eskom debt write-off process, a testament to its commitment to financial sustainability.

For any enquiries contact:

Media spokesperson

Anthony Vusumzi Mlata

Email: anthonym@cederberg.gov.za

Tel nr: +27 482 8000

Cell nr: 071 27 66117