No ‘dark Christmas’: S African leader promises action over power cuts

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday promised his compatriots that they would not have to suffer through “a dark Christmas,” following power cuts that have thrown the country into disarray and pose a threat to the economy.
He said managers of the embattled power utility Eskom have assured him there would be no further cuts between Dec.17 and Jan. 13 and that “right through to March.
“They will be seeking to do everything they can to restore the stability of the network.”
Ramaphosa met with Eskom leadership on Wednesday after cutting short an official visit to Egypt because of the electricity crisis.
He has come under increasing criticism over the cuts, which have been carried out to relieve pressure on the national grid.
“The load-shedding that our country has gone through has really touched a raw nerve amongst our people,” he acknowledged, using the official term for the cuts.
Load-shedding has led to roads becoming gridlocked because traffic lights do not function, businesses closing and mines halting operations.
“Electricity is … a key driver of our economic fortunes,” Ramaphosa said, pointing to warnings that if the energy problems persist, they could push South Africa into a recession.
The country’s aging power stations are the main problem, he said. They are 37 years old on average, with some as old as 55 years.
But he also attributed the recent load-shedding to wet coal that clogged the system and to “sabotage” by “someone in the Eskom system.” An investigation has been launched, Ramaphosa said. (dpa/NAN)