Lindiwe Zulu Says R29m Earmarked for New Generators at Sassa Offices As Loadshedding Impacts Service Delivery

• Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said the Department of Social Development plans to install new generators at Sassa
• The R29 million roll-out will help Sassa staff assist grant recipients when loadshedding strikes
• The Justice and Constitutional Development and Health Departments have already begun rolling out alternative power supplies at their respective facilities

CAPE TOWN - Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has revealed that her department has set R29 million aside for the roll-out of alternative power supply at 90 South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices.

Given the depending electricity crisis, the new generators will empower Sassa to continue assisting grant recipients even when loadshedding hits.

Linidiwe Zulu says generators will help Sassa assist grant recipients during loadshedding

Zulu was responding to questions in Parliament when she said the emerging national crisis had necessitated the establishment of a task team for the implementation of the roll-out of the alternative power supply.

Read also

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa insists loadshedding didn’t reach Stage 8 amid reports Eskom silently increased blackouts

The rollout will occur in two phases. The first will take place at the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year, and the second will happen in the third quarter of the same year, IOL reported.

Justice and Constitutional Development and Health Department also look to alternative power sources

The Department of Social Development is the third department to look to alternative energy sources. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is installing generators in courts while the Health Department is doing the same at health facilities.

Meanwhile, loadshedding shows no signs of letting up, with Eskom announcing that SA will be alternating between Stage 5 and Stage 6 loadshedding until further notice, TimesLIVE reported.

South African believe the procurement processes for Sassa generators will be marred by corruption

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Eskom denies secretly implementing Stage 8 loadshedding, Mzansi calls out power utility for lying

Below are some comments

Ayesha Lewis-Tieties speculated:

"Not long, we will hear of tender fraud here also."

Vijay Sewnandan said:

"That amount includes each comrade's commission."

Ilan Ben-David claimed:

"Yes, but it will be for one generator that will never be installed."

Saleem Ibn Abdullah added:

"I'm sure the generators must cost less than a quarter of that amount... the rest goes to the tenderpreneurs."

Heidi Sampieri asked:

"Why not solar? These people know how to waste money."

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa insists loadshedding didn’t reach Stage 8 amid reports Eskom increased blackouts

In another story, Briefly News reported that Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has insisted that loadshedding has not exceeded Stage 6 despite reports that Eskom secretly implemented Stage 8 last week.

According to Sunday Times, the embattled power utility "silently" shed 7 072MW of electricity, pushing the country into the Stage 8 threshold of 7 001MW to 8 000MW.

Read also

Eskom announces indefinite Stage 6 loadshedding, SA calls for another national shutdown

However, Ramokgopa noted that he had no information from Eskom that Stage 8 loadshedding had been implemented.

Source: Briefly News