The National Treasury reports that additional strategies are being explored together with stakeholder departments and Eskom to address the “critical” financial situation of the top 14 Eskom defaulters. It has been reported that arrear debt owed to Eskom by municipalities has climbed to above R80-billion, despite there being a debt relief programme in place through which debt owed to Eskom can be written off in equal annual tranches over a three-year period provided municipalities comply with set conditions.