Reconstruction and Development Programme

South Africa’s electricity crisis: a series of failures over 30 years have left a dim legacy

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Failure, Electricity, African National Congress, Development, Coal, Reconstruction, Mineral Resources Limited, White paper, Employment, Medupi Power Station, Policy, Politics, Wind, Watt, Integrated Resource Plan, Reconstruction and Development Programme, ANC, World Bank, Government, Renewable energy

Back then only 36% of all South Africans had electricity in their homes.

Key Points: 
  • Back then only 36% of all South Africans had electricity in their homes.
  • The development programme promised to double that number by electrifying an additional 2.5 million homes by 2000.
  • This seemed achievable – during the 1980s, the state-owned power utility Eskom’s build programme was so aggressive it had surplus electricity.
  • By 1994, South Africa’s coal industry was generating high quality coal which was exported mainly to Europe.

What went wrong

  • Eskom tried to convince the government to allow it to build more power stations.
  • But under the macroeconomic policy, the government decided that new power stations must be built by Black empowered businesses.
  • For that to work, the prices of electricity needed to increase to make it financially viable for the businesses.
  • The White Paper was accurate in predicting when the country would run out of power.
  • If the Eskom CEOs had signed the power purchase agreements, it would have brought online 5GW of renewables.

The current dilemma

  • This provided for a very large increase in the number of renewables and the closure of several coal-fired power stations.
  • But Mantashe later delayed the procurement of renewables, deepening the crisis at Eskom.
  • Dividing the utility up was approved in 2019 but the National Transmission Company was only set up in 2024.
  • Ramaphosa appointed an electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and released the Energy Action Plan to end power cuts.

Solutions

  • It dramatically increases the emphasis on gas – it is a gas infrastructure plan and South Africa doesn’t have much gas.
  • The country will have to import gas and pay in US dollars, thus increasing its dependence on the dollar.
  • Instead, South Africa needs to transition to renewable energy plus backup, which is batteries and a substantial gas reserve.


Mark Swilling is a Non-Executive Director of the Eskom National Transmission Company of South Africa. He writes in his academic capacity. He has received funding for his research from National Research Foundation, VW Foundation, Open Society Foundation and European Climate Fund.

South Africa is failing to live up to its constitution. Gains made since democracy are being squandered – report

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 28, 2023
Apartheid, Poverty, Employment, Food, University, Democracy, Crime, Education, Reconstruction, National Development Plan, Disability, Politics, Parent, White South Africans, Policy, COVID-19, African, Quality of life, Woman, Research, Goal, World Bank, Language, Government, Development, Income, Colonialism, Racism, Reconstruction and Development Programme, Weather, Mortality, University of Johannesburg, Mental health, Hunger, Redistribution, Social mobility, Pharmaceutical industry, Tutoring, Nursing, Tourism, Drug, Coloureds, Growth

The end of apartheid in 1994 and advent of constitutional democracy resulted in major societal changes in South Africa.

Key Points: 
  • The end of apartheid in 1994 and advent of constitutional democracy resulted in major societal changes in South Africa.
  • The country’s constitution commits the government to take remedial action to address the legacy of past discrimination and injustice.
  • It must improve the quality of life of all citizens and promote equality.
  • Since then, other macroeconomic policies have included the Growth, Employment and Redistribution and Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa policies.
  • Most South Africans continue to face socio-economic exclusion and persistent discrimination on the basis of “race”, gender and disability.

A poor performance

    • Extreme inequality has a profound impact on social and personal relationships as well as social cohesion.
    • The major gap between rich and poor makes it difficult for people to relate to one another and form strong bonds.
    • The quality of basic services in some communities is poor.
    • Lastly, the report shows nation-building efforts have been undermined by growing inequalities, decline in good governance and persistent corruption.
    • This has been evident in unethical political leadership, state capture, institutional decay and low levels of public trust in government.

Progress undermined

    • But these have been undermined by weak governance and poor economic performance since 2006.
    • Addressing the socioeconomic and political challenges will be indispensable to the strengthening and consolidation of its democracy.

South Africa is failing to live up to its constitution. Gains made since democracy are being squandered - report

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Apartheid, Poverty, Employment, Food, University, Democracy, Crime, Education, Reconstruction, National Development Plan, Disability, Politics, Parent, White South Africans, Policy, COVID-19, African, Quality of life, Woman, Research, Goal, World Bank, Language, Government, Development, Income, Colonialism, Racism, Reconstruction and Development Programme, Weather, Mortality, University of Johannesburg, Mental health, Hunger, Redistribution, Social mobility, Pharmaceutical industry, Tutoring, Nursing, Tourism, Drug, Coloureds, Growth

The end of apartheid in 1994 and advent of constitutional democracy resulted in major societal changes in South Africa.

Key Points: 
  • The end of apartheid in 1994 and advent of constitutional democracy resulted in major societal changes in South Africa.
  • The country’s constitution commits the government to take remedial action to address the legacy of past discrimination and injustice.
  • It must improve the quality of life of all citizens and promote equality.
  • Since then, other macroeconomic policies have included the Growth, Employment and Redistribution and Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa policies.
  • Most South Africans continue to face socio-economic exclusion and persistent discrimination on the basis of “race”, gender and disability.

A poor performance

    • Extreme inequality has a profound impact on social and personal relationships as well as social cohesion.
    • The major gap between rich and poor makes it difficult for people to relate to one another and form strong bonds.
    • The quality of basic services in some communities is poor.
    • Lastly, the report shows nation-building efforts have been undermined by growing inequalities, decline in good governance and persistent corruption.
    • This has been evident in unethical political leadership, state capture, institutional decay and low levels of public trust in government.

Progress undermined

    • But these have been undermined by weak governance and poor economic performance since 2006.
    • Addressing the socioeconomic and political challenges will be indispensable to the strengthening and consolidation of its democracy.