SA returns to dark ages as power cuts, water restrictions persist

It’s going to be a dry and dark week ahead, with more load shedding and increased water restrictions announced over the weekend.

Eskom introduced stage 2 load shedding daily from 4pm to midnight until Wednesday due to the breakdown of four generating units.

ALSO READ: Stage 2 load shedding to continue until Wednesday

SA’s energy crisis

Politics professor at the University of Limpopo Kgothatso Shai said South Africa was experiencing a man-made crisis.

The reinstatement of power cuts wasn’t a refusal to stabilise load shedding, he said, adding it was possibly the only way to prevent a total blackout.

“The energy insecurity crisis is more complex than what meets the eye. We indeed have a capacity challenge. But the crisis of leadership in Eskom does not make the situation easier,” he said

The current Eskom leadership has been sabotaged internally by those with political and business
links.

“This is a man-made crisis. The agenda is clear and simple; to weaken the current leadership and replace it with another that is friendly to political and business interests,” he said.

‘Challenge is bigger than politics’

Shai said ordinary South Africans also had a hand in the crisis.

“Cable thefts, illegal connections and sourcing of electricity from ghost vendors is a serious challenge. The challenge is bigger than politics and political rhetoric.”

Shai said President Cyril Ramaphosa was constrained a lot in decision-making.

“Pravin [Gordhan, public enterprises minister] and [Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede] Mantashe are his political allies and if re-elected for a second term as ANC president, their support is key.

“I don’t see him antagonising them through removal. It’s difficult to trust politicians, they may be turning a blind eye towards the crisis in Eskom to pave a way for privatisation out of which they and business cronies will benefit,” he added.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said political interference had ruined Eskom.

“We are now stuck because there is no political solution that will translate into keeping the lights on. I don’t expect a grand plan; load shedding has been a problem for more than 10 years. It has got worse,” he said

Mathekga said the ANC had looted Eskom to the point where it was now dysfunctional.

“The world is experiencing a power crisis, but it’s not what is happening here. The energy crisis in Germany and China is to do climate crisis. Ours is 100% a self-made problem,” he said.

Energy expert Clyde Mallinson said permanent load shedding could be useful at times, “but it wouldn’t give the necessary peak-time capacity needed for weekdays”.

Rand Water load shifting

He said load shedding was suspended over the weekend because consumption was less. Rand Water has taken control of the water supply in Gauteng.

Yesterday Johannesburg Water said due to Rand Water’s uninterrupted load shifting from Eikenhof to recover the Palmiet system, “Johannesburg Water’s Commando system levels have worsened from critically low to empty”.

A week after water shedding began, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu meets with Gauteng municipalities and Rand Water today.

– marizkac@citizen.co.za

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