While the country grapples with stage 6 open shedding and 18.65% tariff increase, the Eskom Board and the Energy Crisis Committee have little or no power when it comes to power utility issues, according to political analysts. The decision was made this week to implement the phase 6 load shedding indefinitely, which President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was “deeply saddened”. NOW READ: Eskom implements phase 6 load shedding to better understand ‘Global Agenda’ “Them [Eskom board and committee] powerless. They don’t have mines and they don’t have anything, just…
While the country grapples with stage 6 open shedding and 18.65% tariff increase, the Eskom Board and the Energy Crisis Committee have little or no power when it comes to power utility issues, according to political analysts.
The decision was made this week to implement the phase 6 load shedding indefinitely, which President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was “deeply saddened”.
NOW Read: Eskom imposes phase 6 load shedding until further notice
‘Global agenda’
“Those people [Eskom board and committee] powerless. They don’t have mines and they don’t have anything, they just exist,” said political analyst Xolani Dube.
“There is a global agenda of the ruling class and these people are not part of the ruling class.”
Eskom chair Mpho Makwana was approached for comment but did not respond.
‘Ramaphosa admits frustration’
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said at a hybrid media conference this week: “The President acknowledges the frustration of households, parents and [pupils] which has started the school calendar year facing a shortage of electricity.
The damage to small businesses and the negative impact on the economy remains severe for SA’s recovering economy.
READ MORE: ANC55: Crisis relief is being attended to ‘quickly’, says Ramaphosa
Increase the rate
Democratic Alliance shadow mineral resources and energy minister Kevin Mileham said Ramaphosa’s admission that nothing could be done about the crisis spoke volumes for the government’s incompetence and indifference.
The already high cost of living coupled with unemployment and, now, Eskom’s electricity tariff increase at the end of phase 6 load shedding, are all indicators of a failed state, he said.
The reality is that South Africans are tired of having to go to bed and wake up without a critical commodity for which they have to pay a high price.
‘It’s getting worse inside’
Meanwhile, head of journalism at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Hermon Berhane Ogbamichael said the resignation of Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter is a sign that there is more wrong at Eskom than the public is being told.
“There are people in power in Eskom who have greater influence on the government, otherwise why is the government not acting?
“If you say it’s a funding constraint, that’s understandable, but what about corruption, poor planning, fraud and shoddy work?” said.
“What is the government doing to solve the problem? There is no transparency… we don’t know what is happening at Eskom.
Ogbamichael said since Eskom supplies 90% of the country’s electricity, the failure will affect the economy.
“This will create a big blow to the economy in general. Investment in the country and direct investment from foreign investment will be affected,” he said.
“Eskom has about R400 billion in debt and is not generating cash to pay the interest on its debt.” This may be the reason why they have to increase the rates and may cause protests from the public.
Liz McDaid, the Undoing Tax Abuse organisation’s parliamentary and energy adviser, said she was “outraged by the government’s failure to help South Africans weather this storm”.
“In effect, the government’s failure to speed up the Independent Power Producer Procurement Program has meant excessive diesel consumption as Eskom is trapped in almost all of its use [open-cycle gas turbines] to lighten the load,” McDaid said.