RICHARD MEISSNER|
SOUTH Africans gave a warm welcome to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement about a “set of actions” to respond to the energy crisis in the country.
The plans involve steps to improve the performance of the power stations run by the power utility Eskom, the accelerated procurement of new energy capacity, and making it easier for businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar. The plan also envisages the fundamental transformation of the electricity sector.
Frustration and anger have been growing in the country over power cuts, which have become a fact of life since April 2008. Not only are they a major inconvenience for households and essential services, the economy is also badly affected. Estimates suggest that power cuts have cost the economy R4 billion (over US$238 million) per day.
The worst of the rolling cuts were experienced during July 2022. These were partly due to illegal industrial action and theft
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