Eskom: We don't need more empty plans
In an unprecedented move, President Ramaphosa has penned an opinion piece in the Daily Maverick. This is indicative of the ANC closing ranks and embarking on a media campaign. The message is that the ANC has finally woken up, albeit at five to twelve to the hour, to the severe challenges posed by Eskom to the economy and citizens.
Ramaphosa now acknowledges the deeper challenges at the institution, ranging from its severe financial situation to inadequate adherence to its maintenance programme, and from a growing deficit of financial skills to poor procurement practices. Informed commentators, opposition parties, primarily the Democratic Alliance have highlighted these “challenges” over the past ten years and more.
The everyman translation of Ramaphosa’s stance is: We have squandered financial resources, neglected crucial maintenance over decades, deployed useless cadres and facilitated theft via opaque procurement.
The solution now presented is the utility’s 2018 nine-point plan – yet another recovery and maintenance plan as well as short term measures to minimise blackouts in the new year. We have been sold this mantra since 2015 ( and for years prior) when Ramaphosa headed the Eskom war room. Now we have yet another war room.
But here is still no mention of transparency and accountability. It is still command and control and the same levers to address issues that are systematically entrenched in the utility will not be opened to scrutiny.