We are hostages of Eskom

There is no doubt that Eskom, once internationally recognised as the best and cheapest power provider, is one of the government’s most massive failures.

Despite warnings dating back to the late 1990s on a looming energy crisis, the government elected to ignore the warnings. On a daily basis Eskom puts out Twitter messages which usually state: “Following the tripping of ….Stage x load shedding was implemented.” We must plan our lives according to their whims. Eskom’s hostages are then told to “conserve electricity”.

This madness is akin to saying that Eskom is unable to provide electricity but when it does, users must not use it. It then gives “tips” on what to do when there is no electricity. This is the same state-owned enterprise (SOE) that wants to punish people who generate their own electricity and wants a 30% price increase to ensure reduced service.

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Eskom should change its message and rather tell taxpayers how many hours of electricity they can expect each day. Based on the assumption that Eskom can only provide electricity for half a day, maybe it is also time to fire half of its employees.

With a bloated staff complement which keeps growing, it is also obvious that our electricity supply is exponentially reducing. This once world renowned national electricity provider is being sabotaged from within and pushed into oblivion. It is almost a certainty that half of those employed by Eskom are engaged in some form of corruption, theft and general incompetence.

Corrupt Eskom employees steal everything from coal to toilet paper. They purposely sabotage infrastructure. They commit high-value economic crimes – and do so blatantly and without any concern for consequences. They have learned the art of corruption and embezzlement from their so-called political and other leaders. So too have the criminal networks.

The wishes of those who long for the “old days” are coming true as not only will we all soon be reliant on candles and paraffin lamps, but we will also only have gravel roads and be forced to collect our water from polluted rivers. It is both ironic and sad that despite the inability of this government to provide any sustainable and affordable service, we keep voting for them. They have built nothing of substance and destroyed most of what we once had.

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But everything that has gone wrong with Eskom is being blamed on “apartheid”. Using their populist lies, they want blame and frustration to be placed elsewhere. They refuse to acknowledge that THEY are the cause of the massive blackouts the country is experiencing. They refuse to acknowledge that their incompetence is the cause of our misery. It seems the belief exists that an unsuspecting public will believe whatever the government tells them.

But denying information to the public on critical infrastructure has its own consequences and are a direct cause of the growing mood of pessimism that has now pervaded the entire population. This government cannot be trusted to be honest with the citizens nor can it any longer be trusted to do what it promises.

Perhaps the rumour to deliberately collapse Eskom is part of a master plan led by some in high office. This will surely follow the same fate as South African Airways that was pumped full of taxpayers money, then privatised, and finally sold off for R51. It is an open question how much these privatised Eskom entities will eventually sell for – and more importantly, who the buyers will be.

The inability of our national energy supplier to provide sustainable electricity has driven investors and manufacturers to seek other havens. No industry or business can run on paraffin and candles, but our government seems to believe this is possible.

The longer we remain reliant on a failed national energy provider, the greater our risk of slipping deeper into a recession. This implies not only that inflation is accelerating and unemployment rising, but also the negative review we will get from the credit ratings agencies. Our resilient economy is becoming brittle, and the cracks are showing. These cracks cannot be mended with useless soundbytes or super glue.

Despite this mess the government has created and overseen, our ministers still love to boast how hard they work, and love to appear in the media, especially the international media, to claim how well South Africa is doing under its failed democracy. They call for international investment – so that they can embezzle it.

ALSO READ: Higher load shedding stages loom if diesel not delivered, warns Eskom

Eskom has become a destructive money-guzzling SOE, and it is time the minister overseeing this mess is held to account. Between the two of them they are destroying our country and its people.

-Mashaba is a political advisor