SA’s electricity crisis: ‘Too many fingers in power pie’

As raging territorial battles over the control of Eskom at ministerial level have surfaced, experts on Sunday called for the appointment of one political head of the embattled state-owned power utility.

Meanwhile, citizens are exploring alternatives to the ANC ahead of next year’s watershed national polls.

Mixed signals emerged from the ANC over the weekend on when load shedding would end. Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa contradicted earlier remarks by ruling party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula who said power outages would cease by December.

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But President Cyril Ramaphosa denied there was any conflict between ministers Gwede Mantashe of energy, Ramokgopa and Pravin Gordhan of public enterprises.

In conceding that load shedding would not end this year, Ramokgopa’s honest assessment was likely to cost the ANC in the upcoming elections, according to political analysts.

Independent political analyst Sandile Swana said the solution to load shedding was “inextricably tied to the outcome of the 2024 election and the tenure of the ANC as the governing party”.

“A change of the governing party should signal the start of the end of load shedding,” said Swana.

Territorial battles were “rife and were foreseeable”.

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Eskom, he added, needed “only one minister and one board to run its affairs – like any other successful large business”.

“Many ministers and chief executives of Eskom have talked about resolving load shedding in a year.

“Unfortunately, none have succeeded. Former CEO André de Ruyter, Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana have all misled the public regarding power supply.

“Ramaphosa does not have a high-capacity Eskom top management team, board, or ministers who can develop and implement a plan to end load shedding.

“The appointment of an electricity minister was a gimmick – avoiding the central question of eradicating ministerial corruption, cadre deployment and the mafia among Eskom staff, suppliers and customers.

ALSO READ: ANC supports Ramokgopa’s plans to deal with load shedding

“South Africa had a White Paper by 1998, to prevent energy insecurity. “We have had well known and cogent solutions since the 1990s, which have been ignored until now,” said Swana.

University of Pretoria politics lecturer Roland Henwood said: “Electioneering and politicising will not solve the problems at Eskom.

“While the president and government said there was a plan, this is worthless if not implemented successfully.

“Knowledgeable people have identified the problem of fragmentation, a leadership vacuum, competing interests and egos as serious at Eskom, with turf wars now playing out in the open.

“Only strong leadership and competence is required to make complex arrangements work.

“Mantashe has a history of contradicting the president on energy – going far back. He seems to do the same with a relatively new role player. This is the man who once accused De Ruyter of sabotage and treason.”

Policy expert Dr Nkosikhulule Nyembezi described the ministerial tension as “power games in the Union Buildings, which have reached a point of no return”.

“The acceleration of private investment in alternative electricity sources will soon tilt the balance away from government control and potentially erode revenue sources for municipalities that sell bulk electricity to consumers for profit,” warned Nyembezi.

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