South Africa’s (SA) Johannesburg has dodged a major power crisis after settling a massive R5.25 billion ($328 million) debt with state utility Eskom, putting an end to months of legal threats that put the country’s economic engine room at risk of severe power cuts.

Eskom confirmed this Friday that it received the final installment, officially closing out a bitter billing feud that escalated in May when the utility threatened to throttle electricity to the city. With the money in the bank, Eskom has dropped its legal proceedings.

The breakthrough comes after months of tense mediation led by Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa, who stepped in alongside city officials and local distributor City Power to broker a deal. On top of wiping the slate clean, all parties agreed to set up ring-fenced accounts and tighter payment controls to make sure the city doesn’t run up a bill like this again.

–Reuters/ChannelAfrica–