Remember the rolling blackouts and load shedding we experienced at the beginning of 2008? It was the reason we set up this blog.
Well, it turns out that Eskom got expert analysis six months before pointing out the rampant mismanagement and incapacity at Eskom’s Generation Primary Energy (GPE) – responsible for keeping the (coal) fires burning. Read the rest of this entry ?
This story was in our inbox this morning – had to google the headline to discover that it comes from a satirical site (if not mistaken, run by Tom Eaton) called Hayibo:
Blackouts back as Eskom caught off-guard by shock cooling called ‘winter’
JOHANNESBURG. A week after announcing that loadshedding would be halted, Eskom says an unexpected change in the Earth’s axis has plunged the country into a time of cold and darkness, prompting possible future power cuts. The phenomenon, identified by scientists as “winter”, has reportedly caused widespread panic at the utility.
Addressing journalists at Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters this morning, spokesman Eddie Motsepe apologised to consumers in advance for possible power outages, but said that the dramatic shift in the planet’s rotational alignment could not have been foreseen by the power provider.
“We are as confused and frightened as our consumers,” he said. “At this time all we know is that Earth has tilted over, and as such the southern hemisphere is no longer being struck by the full force of the sun’s rays.”
He said Eskom officials had confirmed that this phenomenon was known to the science community, and that it was called “winter”.
“We phoned the Geography department at the University of the Witwatersrand, and they told us,” he said.
He said he did not know whether or not “winter” would be permanent, but said the utility was preparing for the worst.
The Democratic Alliance last week welcomed the findings of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA’s) Inquify into the Power Supply Shortages & Load Shedding. DA public enterprises spokesperson Manie van Dyk said NERSA’s report gave official recognition to the managment problems the DA had highlighted in the past.
“NERSA has labeled Eskom’s management as complicit in the crisis amid the mismanagement of power station maintenance and coal stockpiles,” Van Dyk said. “As such, the DA will be calling for a debate in Parliament on whether a change in Eskom management is due – not least because of a need to restore the confidence of consumers, who have to shoulder the financial cost of Eskom mismanagement.”
Read more… click here for the full statement on the DA’s website.
Allowing Eskom’s requested 53 percent tariff increase would be reckless, the Democratic Alliance said last Tuesday. Expecting government and, in particular, the public to condone a 60 percent tariff increase was without grounds or basis.
“It is the DA’s view that an agreement to any additional tariff increases would be reckless in light of the prevailing failures by government and mismanagement on the part of Eskom,” said party minerals and energy spokesperson, Hendrik Schmidt.
In a submission to the National Energy Regulator (Nersa), tasked with regulating the electricity, piped-gas and petroleum pipeline industries, the DA said it recommended an independent inquiry into South Africa’s energy crisis before any tariff hikes could be considered. Read the rest of this entry ?
What a great bit of photo-shopping on this old photograph of Albert Einstein at the blackboard. If memory serves, the original had Einstein’s famous formula, “E = mc2“. One can almost imagine that Einstein would have had exactly this kind of sense of humour.
Curbing electricity theft would greatly ease pressure on the national grid, said the Democratic Alliance last Thursday.
“The amount of electricity that Eskom loses to illegal connections and other forms of theft equates to almost 10 percent of national demand,” said DA public enterprises spokesman Manie van Dyk. “This is the very same margin by which the electricity utility is asking the public to reduce its consumption”.
Van Dyk said a report showed that losses incurred through electricity theft and non-payment amounted to 3,690 MW.
“This exceeds Eskom’s goal of a permanent peak hour saving of 3,000 MW.” Read the rest of this entry ?
We normally provide a lighter look at load shedding on Fridays, but today being April 1, we thought we’d make an exception. The Mail & Guardian Online chose load shedding for its April Fool’s joke this year. It announces that Eskom will be instituting “even more extreme power cuts” from today.
“The shock development, which will be known as sector-sharing, will see the country divided into four vertical zones, each spanning many thousands of square kilometres.“
According to the story, Eskom will only be able to provide electricity to three out of four zones during peak demand times. Read the rest of this entry ?
STOP BONUS PAYMENTS TO ESKOM MANAGEMENT!
The Democratic Alliance has slammed the proposal that shares to the possible value of R10m be awarded to Eskom management.
DA spokesperson on public enterprises Manie van Dyk said the awarding of such shares would be outrageous, given that South Africans were bearing the brunt of extreme negligence on the part of Eskom management.
Van Dyk would be writing to the Minister of Public Enterprises and the chief executive officer of Eskom in an effort to prevent these bonuses from being paid out.
“This money should rather be diverted into Eskom’s coal procurement or capital expansion plan.”
A lack of planning has seen massive rolling blackouts sweeping across South Africa, and the economy being hit because big industry it cannot reach its production targets. Citizens have also been trapped in lifts and in huge traffic jams amid periodic shortages of electricity.
An group calling itself the Powergroup has started an online petition to stop Eskom from paying bonuses. Click here to sign the petition.
DA presses Eskom CEO about development stoppage Read the rest of this entry ?
Thought we’d pick up on the theme of Eskom playing games and/or slacking off this week. We received two pics recently.
The first was this fun little gif:
And then, they say a picture’s worth a thousand words… Read the rest of this entry ?
ESKOM IS PROMOTING CORRUPTION
It emerged over the weekend that Eskom has short listed a World Bank blacklisted German company, Laymeyer International, as a possible candidate to design and provide supervision tasks for the construction of new power stations, according to the DA’s spokesperson on Public Enterprises, Manie van Dyk.
In 2003, Laymeyer International was convicted in Lesotho for paying bribes worth R2.5 million to Masupha Sole, the former CEO of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority. In 2006, the World Bank blacklisted Laymeyer International for seven years following its corrupt activities in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Read more…click here to continue >>
ELECTRICITY CRISIS: THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF GOVT FAILURES
In a speech on the economic costs of the government’s failure to plan and act appropriately during the State of the Nation debate last Wednesday, DA Chief Whip Ian Davidson focused on the current electricity crisis. He highlighted the various costs and threats in terms of GDP, job losses and investment opportunities. He also appealed for those responsible for the failures to be held accountable.
“The Hon President says lets move beyond recriminations. I agree; but first we must address the question of the accountability of those responsible,” Davidson said.
Read more…click here to continue >>
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