Load-shedding does feel like end of the world for many people

National Council of Provinces (NCOP) deputy speaker Sylvia Lucus stood at a podium and arrogantly told members of parliament that load-shedding was not the end of the world. Speaking in Afrikaans, during the debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address, Lucas said: “Load-shedding isn’t the end of the world. And I am, Mr President, one of the people who feel that, once you talk about load-shedding, they start sabotaging you”.

If we ever needed proof as to how out of touch our political leaders are with the reality of life for ordinary South Africans, Lucas has provided it.

Load-shedding certainly feels like the end of the world for the small, medium and micro enterprise business owners who have had to shut their doors because they could no longer afford to trade.

It is certainly a big deal for the larger manufacturing firms that have had to either lay off workers or place them on short time, which means less money in the pockets of workers who are already at the end of their tether.

Load-shedding is estimated to have cost the economy more than R1.2-trillion, and that figure continues to rise with each day that we are subjected to these rolling blackouts.

The Nelson Mandela Bay economy lost a staggering R1bn every much, last year’s study by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber showed.

The losses can be attributed to the cost of buying generators and operating costs such as diesel, installing inverters, damage to equipment and machinery, and the loss of production and revenue as a result of not meeting domestic and export orders.

In the first half of 2023, close to 250 jobs had already been lost, according to companies that had been surveyed.

This is the reality faced by businesses in SA.

And it does not even take into account the small business owners who are working from their homes and cannot do so for extended periods of time each day.

Nor does it reflect the cost of load-shedding on the pockets of those who have to put food on the table each day.

Lucus’ flippant attitude is a slap in the face, and comes at a time when the ANC would want to woo voters in such an important election year.

The electorate may not be as forgiving when they cast their ballots at the polls.