Lifeline of R59 billion will not save Eskom; real changes are what is needed 

23 July 2019

The FF Plus condemns the allocation of yet another lifeline to Eskom as the government did not stipulate any conditions for the financial aid. It means that this tax money will also disappear down that bottomless pit.

Drastic changes in Eskom's finances and operational management are what is needed to save the state-owned enterprise. A special allocation of R59 billion in the form of a lifeline will not do the trick.

The constant budget allocations, lifelines and the government's takeover of Eskom’s debt all threaten the survival of South Africa. The ANC alone is responsible for the downfall of the electricity supplier, but now taxpayers must bear the burden.

It is the ANC that appointed incompetent board members and executive officials due to cadre deployment. It is also the ANC that stood idly by while the state-owned enterprise was captured and looted.

The municipalities under ANC control are the ones who have outstanding debt to Eskom that amount to billions of rand.

The only way out for Eskom is a totally new management model that includes privatisation. However, the ANC's allies, the trade unions, are standing in the way of these much-needed changes.

The FF Plus will keep fighting at the highest level for real change at Eskom in the interest of every person in South Africa.

Issued by Wouter Wessels, FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson: Finance, 23 July 2019