Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter Says Loadshedding Will Ease in 10 Days, Citizens Not Buying It

• CEO of Eskom Andre de Ruyter believes loadshedding will be a thing of the past in the next 10 days
• He said South Africa has started purchasing power from Zambia and is also considering buying from Mozambique
• Citizens are not having any of his remarks, with many saying that de Ruyter made the same promises

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter believes the country's electricity woes should subside within the next 10 days. Generation units are expected to be online during the period.

Citizens have endured 120 days of loadshedding so far. However, De Ruyter says the power utility is doing everything possible to add megawatts to the grid.

Eskom's CEO said South Africa has started purchasing power from Zambia and is considering Mozambique and the private sector to add megawatts. He added that the private sector has 6 000 megawatts of new renewable projects in the pipeline, according to TimesLIVE.

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Gwede Mantashe says hunger kills SA faster than fossil fuels during Africa Oil Week address

Meanwhile, the entity's newly appointed board chairperson Mpho Makwana said Eskom's management would remain in power.

Makwana said the power plant's performance would be reviewed over 30 to 60 days.

The review period will be used to determine how to make the stations operational at an average of 75% of the time. News24 reported that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan set the target.

Citizens are fed up with loadshedding:

@MayaKandake said:

"Oh is this the part where we clap hands for someone who found lights on, turned them off and now says he will turn them on again temporarily? Have we come to expect so little from this lot who are paid millions?"

@EsaiaMolimola commented:

"Until they all start tripping again and again! Because there are no early warning systems."

Read also

EFF doubts Eskom's new board will be able to bring an end to loadshedding

@saaid_abrahams added:

"Wait... didn't he say the same thing a few weeks ago?"

Gwede Mantashe says hunger kills SA faster than fossil fuels during Africa Oil Week address

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has again endorsed fossil fuels, saying a speedy transition to renewable will increase unemployment and deepen energy poverty.

The Energy Minister made these comments during an address at the Africa Oil Week in Cape Town on Tuesday, 4 October.

Civil Society groups have been protesting outside the conference, with many climate activists armed with banners that say "fossil fuels kill", but according to Mantashe, hunger kills faster.

Source: Briefly News