​Thembisa Shologu
The Gauteng Provincial Government has met with Mayors of Municipalities, Rand Water and Eskom to attend to critical service delivery issues in the province. 
Communities across the province have raised concerns about constant water and unplanned power outages. 
These challenges compromise the overall well-being, safety, and dignity of the people of Gauteng said MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile.
Briefing the media in Sandton on Friday, Maile said engagements with these key stakeholders explored lasting solutions for the challenges.
The resolutions included the commitment from the provincial government which will convene an urgent meeting with the Ministers of CoGTA, Finance, Public Enterprises, Mayors, and the relevant entities, to find immediate, medium-term and long-term solutions.
Another principal resolution was for municipalities to settle Eskom's bill within 15 days.
Municipalities supplied by Eskom were advised to enter into a payment or trade exchange agreement with the power utility to resolve power challenges, where possible. Eskom would then directly reimburse these municipalities or reduce their debt.
Municipalities were also compelled to explore the different grants received from National Treasury and ascertain whether some funds cannot be diverted to addressing issues like sinkholes or water-related challenges.
While government is exploring and implementing the resolutions, Maile called on communities to remain calm.
"We implore our communities to remain calm and allow us to pursue lasting solutions. As we have been engaging municipalities, Eskom, Rand Water, and other relevant stakeholders, it has become even clearer to us that urbanization has a direct bearing on the supply of water and electricity in our province," said MEC Maile.
He cited ageing infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance gaps and the massive funding required to upgrade infrastructure as some of the factors putting greater pressure on government. 
Projecting funding gap needed to repair substations, transformers and other bulk infrastructure, Maile said the Rand West City municipality needs an amount of R1.747 billion.
At Emfuleni Municipality the figure is R1.752 billion, R731 million in Mogale City and R296 million in Merafong.
"Some of these problems are caused by system overload due to illegal connections, which results in damage and failure of critical equipment such as transformers and mini substations.
"It is for this reason that our communities must desist from the now common habit of allowing illegal connections within their yards, as it is them who suffer in the end when transformers burst and Eskom refuses to replace them without first conducting audits," said the MEC.