Bloemfontein - More than a million people will be affected when Eskom cuts power on Friday.

Eskom says payment plans that three Eastern Free State municipalities submitted didn’t have expectable solutions.

Spokesperson Adri Strydom says they followed a process before they decided to disconnect any electricity supply to the municipalities.

Eskom announced that bulk electricity supply at Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality in Qwaqwa, Dihlabeng in Bethlehem and Ngwathe Municipality in Parys will be disconnected on Friday, 3 October 2014.

Strydom explains that after many negotiations and interactions with all relevant stakeholders, the municipalities failed to reach a payment plan extension of 30 September this year. She says the debt has now gone beyond the expectable norms.

Strydom says the three municipalities have short-paid on their current account for a prolonged period. Maluti-a-Phofung owes R418.6 million, Ngwathe owes R257.9 million and Dihlabeng has a debt of R59.1 million.

Refilwe Mekoa/OFM News