More dark days in 2023 than the past four years combined
24 July 2023
South Africans have spent 27% of this year without power. This equates to 49 full days of load-shedding, which is the same amount of time spent without power during the last four years combined. In four days’ time, with no sign of loadshedding ending, we will have experienced more loadshedding in 2023 than in the past 10 years in total.
Despite the assurances of the Minister of Electricity, Dr Ramokgopa, the situation is not likely to improve in the foreseeable future. Instead, with Koeberg’s refurbishment of Unit 1 being far behind schedule, we are looking at a deepening electricity crisis, with little to no real solutions on the table. Instead, Minister Mantashe has dragged his feet on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill which has only now been tabled before Parliament. The Integrated Resources Plan, outstanding since 2021 and which is the electricity blueprint for the country, has still not been tabled. And the latest regulations around renewable energy has set that solution back immeasurably.
The establishment of the National Energy Crisis Committee, coupled with the appointment of the Minister of Electricity and the drafting of an Energy Action Plan, should have already resulted in an improvement in the loadshedding crippling this country. Instead, loadshedding is at an unprecedented level with only 2 days in this year being loadshedding free.
Moreover, it is disheartening to note that, despite the $8.5 billion available to South Africa from the international community for the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Programme, not a single activity in this Plan has been implemented to address our energy challenges.