Burning Billions. What’s the true cost of keeping South Africa’s lights on?

Lies, damned lies, and loadshedding…
“In another 18 months to two years, you will forget the challenges that we had with Eskom.”
Cyril Ramaphosa, then Deputy President, September 2015.

In every state of the nation address since 2018, Ramaphosa has boldly claimed we’d soon be looking at load-shedding in our rear-view mirrors.

In May 2023, he told us the end of load-shedding “should be in sight soon.”
In August 2023, he claimed the government was doing “great work” to fix Eskom, and promised “by 2024, the energy crisis will be over.”

The fact that Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, in a metaphorical rending of garments, said, “I’m the minister and I bear the responsibility, working with Eskom, so there’s no other person but myself. The buck stops here,” was little comfort to those struggling to keep businesses afloat, and families fed.
South Africans are becoming mighty tired of ministers writing cheques they can’t cash.

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