Tebogo Msimanga |
The EFF on Thursday said they have noted the comments by Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter that South Africa will be subjected to power cuts for another five years as a clear indication that he was never equal to the task of turning around the power utility and resolving the country’s energy crisis.
“De Ruyter’s admission that almost two years as CEO of Eskom, still faces a 4, 000 MW shortfall in the amount of power and the continued breakdowns of gaining coalfired power station vindicates our position that his appointment was a shameful intent to collapse Eskom to rationalise its privatisation.”
The red berets said the deliberate sabotage of Eskom to undermine its power generation capacity is “part of the growing pressures from capitalists for Eskom to be sold and enter into irrational agreements with Independent Power Producers”.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on Eskom to come clean on how much money it has spent to burn through diesel during the hours it suspended load-shedding in order to “allow the nation to mourn” the passing of King Goodwill Zwelithini.
The power utility announced it will suspend load-shedding between 10:00 on Thursday morning and 14:00 this afternoon.
“Surely if Eskom can find 4 hours to keep the lights on for the memorial service today, the entity can find the same reprieve for ordinary South Africans who are fighting for their lives in hospitals, and businesses battling to stay afloat because of the dual blow of Covid-19 and loadshedding.”said DA in a statement.
The DA said while they share in the pain of the nation in mourning the passing of the King, “the memorial of His Majesty should not be used as an excuse to treat citizens unequally.”
