Power lines hang from transmission pylons near Eskom’s Lethabo station in Vereeniging. Picture: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
Editor’s Note
By Mazwi Xaba
Durban - Our reliable sources say we’re headed for coronavirus level 2 lockdown, or a significant easing of the current level.
By the time you read this, we may have already had our long-overdue family meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa. We’re in the dark about the time and place.
I’m not holding my breath on that one. The address I’m looking forward to is the one alluded to by Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan on Thursday, after we were again rudely plunged into load shedding.
Just like Covid-19, this load shedding malady can mess with your inner peace and well-being well before it actually hits you.
The lights in your house could be burning brightly, but the knowledge that this electricity blackout syndrome is back can be debilitating. Now there’s also a new strain, load reduction, which has the same effects on those left without electricity.
When it comes to all maladies it’s important to listen to scientists.
Scientists from the Council for Science and Industrial Research tell us South Africa may be down with the growth-inhibiting load shedding ailment for two to three years.
The minister assures us everything will be done to ensure the scenario the scientists painted doesn’t become reality. The trouble is there’s also the energy minister who isn’t quite energetic or energising to the economy, Gwede Mantashe.
Ramaphosa owes us an Eskom briefing. The lockdown provided him ample opportunity to fix Eskom. But it was squandered.
The Independent on Saturday