Lights out: DA launches new election billboard

In the run-up to the 2019 national elections, the Democratic Alliance has launched a new billboard with the focus on load shedding.

The message on the billboard, which was erected in Johannesburg, reads: “The ANC has killed the lights affecting 57 million South Africans. Time for us to take their power. Vote DA.”

“The fact that Eskom continues to leave our citizens in the dark is further proof that the failing ANC is completely incapable of fixing the challenges at the ailing utility.

“Load shedding has significant consequences for our economy, and the productivity of small businesses in particular, which have suffered the biggest blows due to the blackouts. South Africa loses R2bn a day due to power failures. It is safe to say that load shedding leads to job shedding,” DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said in a statement on Sunday.

He said Eskom will remain a monopoly even after the utility is broken up in separate units.

“Ramaphosa’s proposal is for Eskom to be unbundled into a holding company, with three separate business entities to be owned entirely by the holding company. This plan means that each of the three entities will have the same holding board. Thus, the intention to stimulate competition in the generation sector of Eskom will be limited by the fact that the entities are not wholly independent or competitive. They will continue to be state-owned.”

The party insists that it can solve the crisis.

“Through our ‘cheaper electricity bill’, Eskom will be broken into two separate entities, namely into a generation and a transmission entity. Our offer would see the generation entity privatised in an effort to break Eskom’s monopoly, allowing independent power producers to compete on an equal footing in the generation sector,” Steenhuisen said.

Last month the DA courted controversy when it unveiled its “The ANC is killing us” billboard in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, which contained the names of the victims of Marikana, Life Esidimeni and the children who have died in pit toilets around the country.

WATCH: Angry Life Esidimeni victims’ relatives tear down DA billboard

Soon after it was put up relatives of the Life Esidimeni victims claimed responsibility for damaging and tearing it down.

According to EWN, the ANC laid a complaint with the Electoral Commission (IEC) over the controversial billboard.

– From News24

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