Blackouts will be back soon – DA

Citizen reporter

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said yesterday it had received “reliable information” that Eskom was warning municipalities load shedding was set to start again.

DA MP Natasha Mazzone said the parastatal had “warned municipalities about the strong possibility of rolling blackouts during the months of September and October”.

There has been no official statement from Eskom on the matter, however, nor a response to the DA’s request for more information.

“In the interests of transparency and informing the people of South Africa and businesses,” the DA had written to Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza to seek clarity about any potential rolling blackouts.

“The utility has continuously failed in its mandate to deliver reliable and sustained provision of electricity and it seems it is yet again set to fail millions of South Africans and the country’s already weak economy by not generating enough energy,” said Mazzone.

“This will have a devastating effect on the lives of people and will bring economic activity in these municipalities to a halt.

“Eskom has time and again landed our country in deep trouble. Experts estimate that each stage of rolling blackouts costs the country R1 billion per stage, per day.”

She added the rolling blackouts earlier this year were a primary contributor to a 3.2% contraction of the economy in the first quarter – the largest in 10 years.

“This new threat of impending blackouts makes it clear that the much talked-about recovery plans have amounted to nothing.

“The DA has at all times maintained that Eskom’s anticompetitive throttle hold on electricity production and distribution must be broken.”