‘Eskom’s heavyweights as powerless as you and I in solving power crisis’

While the country grapples with stage 6 load shedding and a 18.65% tariff hike, the Eskom board and the Energy Crisis Committee have little or no power when it comes to fixing the power utility’s issues, according to a political analyst.

A decision was taken this week to implement stage 6 load shedding indefinitely, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he “deeply regretted”.

NOW READ: Eskom imposes stage 6 load shedding until further notice

‘Global agenda’

“Those people [Eskom board and committee] do not have power. They do not own mines and they do not own anything, they are just there,” said political analyst Xolani Dube.

“There is a global agenda of the ruling class and these guys are not part of the ruling class.”

Eskom chair Mpho Makwana was approached for comment but did not respond.

‘Ramaphosa acknowledges frustration’

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said at a hybrid media briefing this week: “The president acknowledges the frustration of households, parents and [pupils] who have commenced the school calendar year facing power shortages.

The devastation to small businesses and adverse impact to the economy remains severe for SA’s recovering economy.”

READ MORE: ANC55: Load shedding crisis is being attended to ‘urgently’, says Ramaphosa

Tariff increase

Democratic Alliance shadow minister of mineral resources and energy Kevin Mileham said Ramaphosa admitting there was nothing he could do about the crisis was telling of an incompetent and uncaring government.

The already high cost of living coupled with unemployment and, now, Eskom’s electricity tariff increase on the back of stage 6 load shedding, are all indicators of a failed state, he said.

The reality is that South Africans are fed up having to go sleep and wake up without a critical commodity for which they pay a hefty price.

‘More going wrong inside’

Meanwhile, the head of journalism at Cape Peninsula University of Technology Hermon Berhane Ogbamichael said the resignation of Eskom’s chief executive André de Ruyter was a sign there was more going wrong inside Eskom than the public was being told.

“There are some powerful people at Eskom who have more influence on the government, otherwise why is the government not taking action?

“If you say it is funding constraints, it is understandable, but what about the corruption side, the poor planning, the fraud and the shoddy work?” he said.

“What is the government doing to address these issues? There is no transparency … we do not know what is happening in Eskom.”

Ogbamichael said because Eskom provides 90% of the country’s electricity, its failure would affect the economy.

“It will create a major blow to the economy in general. The investment in the country and direct investment from foreign investment will be affected,” he said.

“Eskom owes about R400 billion and is not generating cash to pay even the interest on its debt.” This could be a reason why it had to increase tariffs and could cause protests from the public.

Liz McDaid, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse’s parliamentary and energy advisor, said it was “outraged at government’s failure to help South Africans weather this storm”.

“In effect, the failure of government to fast-track the Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme meant that excessive diesel was being consumed as Eskom is trapped in almost fulltime use of the [open-cycle gas turbines] to reduce load shedding,” McDaid said.