EDITOR – The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry is appalled at the apparent lack of planning demonstrated by Eskom which is inflicting severe negative economic effects on all electricity consumers, including the manufacturing sector.
As we head into the festive season, which is a very busy period for many small and micro-businesses across the country, a greater level of understanding of the impact of load shedding will need to be demonstrated by Eskom if the faith of the business community and electricity users is to be restored.
There is an urgent need for the government to immediately action real change at the national utility provider. To date the action taken and progress made to revamp the state-owned entity (SOE) has been too slow to be meaningful and has not had the desired impact of drastically improving Eskom’s management and governance challenges. It is clear from how the current bout of load shedding has transpired and gradually escalated in severity that the current management team is hopelessly out of touch with the impact of their inaction on the national economy and we hold a dim view of their capability as regards resolving the issues at the embattled SOE.
The government needs to take urgent steps, in the coming days, to communicate a clear route out of this untenable situation before more damage is done to South Africa’s socio-economic and investment reputation. All businesses and, in fact, all citizens need to be given a clear timetable and action plan. The government needs to urgently work with the organised business community to solve the challenges at Eskom and to plot a route forward towards stable, dependable energy provision that will enable sustainable and inclusive economic development.
Palesa Phili
Chief executive officer
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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