Sceptical South Africans suspect the reduction in load shedding is an election tactic by the ruling party. Image: Pixabay
Easing of load shedding ‘is not electioneering’ – Energy Council
The Energy Council of South Africa says the recent easing of load shedding is not electioneering but the result of genuine progress.
Sceptical South Africans suspect the reduction in load shedding is an election tactic by the ruling party. Image: Pixabay
The recent halt in load shedding isn’t a ploy to win more votes, asserts Energy Council of South Africa (ECSA) CEO James Mackay.
Instead, he says it is the result of collaborative efforts between the government and businesses to address South Africa’s electricity woes.
Wary South Africans have questioned the reasons behind the load shedding ‘holiday’, suspecting it to be an election strategy by the ruling party.
State-owned power utility Eskom has managed to keep power outages at bay for 43 consecutive days.
Burning diesel ‘at a rate of knots’
Recent media reports also quoted former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter as saying the respite was a result of excessive diesel expenditure.
The public narrative is that load shedding will resume once the 29 May general elections are over.
“I think it was very poorly reported and quite factually incorrect,” said Mackay.
Reflecting on the numbers, Mackay said that Eskom burned about R19 billion worth of diesel in 2022, and in 2023, nearly R30 billion.
“However, over the last seven weeks, we’ve used less diesel consumption than we did in 2023 or 2022.”
Mackay was speaking at a webinar hosted by the South African Presidency and Business for South Africa (B4SA), to give an update on strategic initiatives to address challenges in the energy sector.
He said the improvements were from genuine and sustainable joint initiatives between the Presidency and B4SA, and dismissed notions of political pressure.
“It’s not a conspiracy theory … we are just seeing a combination of good work coming together,” he added.
“Yes, the system remains unreliable, we have not recovered reserve margin. But at the end of the day, this is not electioneering.”
Mackay highlighted substantial growth in the renewable energy arena in 2023, particularly solar and wind.
He noted how improved Eskom plant performance and reduced unplanned losses have also contributed to South Africa’s temporary relief from load shedding.
Thank De Ruyter for halting load shedding – economist
Meanwhile, economist Roelof Botha says the load shedding respite is thanks to De Ruyter’s work while at the helm of Eskom, writes BusinessTech.
He said De Ruyter’s focus on preventative maintenance to avoid breakdowns, and “short-term pain for long-term gain,” is coming to fruition.
