Eskom Marks 150 Days of No Load Shedding, Citizens on the Fence: “False Narrative”
- Eskom and the government celebrated going 150 days without implementing load-shedding on 24 August
- The power producer attributed the lack of load-shedding to a recovery plan, which made stations more reliable
- There were polarising responses to the announcement online, with locals expressing optimism and scepticism
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JOHANNESBURG — Eskom marked a monumental milestone at the weekend, as the country went 150 straight days without load-shedding.
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Eskom announced the landmark development on Saturday, 24 August.
Eskom marks 150 days of no load-shedding
SA has been plagued by persistent power outages, which have caused major upheaval for businesses and citizens in their daily lives.
However, the power supply has stabilised in the past five months since 27 March, with occasional load reduction in parts of the country.
Eskom said the recovery plan had made Eskom's power stations more reliable, while they showed improved efficiency.
According to a BusinessTech report, the rand responded well to the development, ending the past year as among only a handful of emerging market currencies that posted losses against the US dollar.
This was due to the improvement in the electricity supply and a Government of National Unity that was considered market-friendly after the May election.
On Thursday, the cabinet said the 150-day milestone without load-shedding, achieved at the same time President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act into law, was attributable to several factors.
It said the factors included the reduction in the use of OCGT [Open Cycle Gas Turbines], which resulted in R10 billion in diesel cost savings compared to last year.
"Cabinet has also noted Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's [announcement] of withdrawing the nuclear procurement plan to allow public consultation.
"Cabinet proclaimed that nuclear energy remains part of the country's energy mix, offering a low-carbon, reliable source of electricity that can contribute immensely to energy security and climate goals."
Polarising opinions on power issue
Mixed reactions greeted the announcement on social media.
Some locals toasted the milestone, while others questioned the power outages that occurred in some parts, contrary to the blanket announcement.
Briefly News looks at the polarising responses.
@ThuliMadonsela3 wrote:
"Well done, Minister. It's great to see excellence in action."
@TheMusicBinger said:
"Townships and rural areas are going for hours without power. What's up with that?"
@StHonorable added:
"From [the] onset, we knew that load-shedding was a man-made problem. There's nothing that you have done. You just did what should been done before the ANC created this issue of load-shedding."
Ramokgopa puts nuclear procurement plan on ice
In a related news story, Briefly News reported that Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa previously announced that the government's plan to procure 2,500 megawatts of nuclear energy was temporarily off the table.
The gazette came under legal scrutiny based on non-public participation in the process, among other factors.
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Source: Briefly News
