Load shedding: SA still suffering the consequences of the ANC’s State Capture

The confirmation that stage 1 load shedding would be implemented this evening is disturbing, to say the least. This is despite repeated assurances, just last month, from Eskom that this would not be necessary as the entity had put in place their “winter readiness plan”.

Clearly, the plan has failed. Eskom must urgently brief the public and detail exactly why load shedding has become necessary tonight, what acts of sabotage have occurred and where, and if load shedding will become the norm once more.

Make no mistake, the current situation is a direct result of State Capture. For years the ANC allowed their cronies and the Gupta’s to suck the lifeblood out of state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

SOE funding was stolen for the personal benefit of the politically connected, high-paying jobs were handed out to those with no experience and now South Africans are made to pay for it. Over and over again.

At Eskom, the monster that is State Capture has gorged itself to bursting point. The entity has massive debt and a bloated workforce it cannot afford. All the while, the price of electricity keeps going up, which ordinary South Africans cannot afford.

Every day, South Africans are forced to bear the brunt of the ANC’s failings. The cost of petrol, food and transport have increased significantly and the daily struggle just to get by is becoming harder.

Tonight’s announcement is a stark reminder that there is much more work to be done to rid our country of the scourge of State Capture. This is because its architects still govern.

In next year’s elections, South Africans will have a choice between those who have put themselves first and robbed the country blind and those who have a proven track record of improving the lives of South Africans.

It is time for change that only a DA-led government can deliver.

Statement issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 14 June 2018