Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has warned that the electricity grid is on the brink of collapse as Eskom continues to implement high stages of rolling blackouts.
Addressing the media at the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg on the outcomes of the party’s Central Command Team meeting, Malema has called for former Eskom executives Brian Molefe and Matshela Koko to return to the power utility.
Molefe resigned as Eskom CEO in 2016. Koko has been implicated in the State Capture Report for his alleged dealings with the corruption-accused Gupta family.
Malema says, “In the next two weeks, we have been warned – there is going to be darkness. We are almost at a point of grid collapse. It’s a reality that South Africans must know, that we are heading to darkness. African National Congress (ANC) politicians are continuing business as usual as if we are not in a crisis. Brian must come back, Matshela Koko must come back, and so are all those Indian, Coloured, White engineers. They must come and rescue South Africa.”
VIDEO | EFF Media briefing:
SA seeks to expand energy grid
Meanwhile, the Presidential Climate Commission’s Dr Crispian Olver says one of the major concerns regarding energy transition is grid capacity.
South Africa is one of the world’s top carbon polluters because of its heavy reliance on coal-fired power stations.
Olver says despite the current energy crisis there is consensus between stakeholders, government, labour and civil society to upgrade and expand the grid.
“The JET-IP needs to clearly indicate how this grid expansion is going to be financed and that’s sort of the missing key and clearly it involves National Treasury and Eskom and the Public Enterprises in you know detail engagement on how that will happen.”
Eskom is implementing stage 6 power cuts until further notice. Multiple breakdowns of its aging coal-fired power stations continue to be reported.
