Ramokgopa and the Eskom board spent R12 billion on diesel in 4 months to mislead South Africans
28 July 2023
Based on available evidence, it is now conclusively clear that the marginal and temporary reprieve in load-shedding between April and June was not the result of improvements in generation capacity but a deliberate action by the Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and the Eskom Board to burn more diesel in order to achieve an artificial bump in generation capacity.
The immediate outcome of this ill-advised strategy is that, not only is it unsustainable – the country is currently averaging stage 4 of load-shedding every week, but Eskom is now on course to blow its diesel budget before the end of its financial year in March 2024.
As Ramokgopa’s Big Lie about improved generation capacity starts to unravel, the DA now strongly suspects that he may have directly intervened in operational matters at Eskom and demanded that they ramp up the use of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) despite the fact that they are only designed for use during peak periods. Additionally, even though plant maintenance is low in winter, there may have been a deliberate decision taken to keep the plants running at all costs. The current plant breakdowns do conclusively support that theory.
Reports indicate that Eskom has already spent R12.4-billion of its R27.9-billion diesel, four months into its 2023/24 financial year, which ends on 31 March 2024. This expenditure easily surpasses the amount of money spent on diesel over a comparable period in 2022. At this rate, chances are high that Eskom will soon be issuing a distress signal to Treasury asking for a top-up on the diesel budget.