Okay, Mzansi, credit where credit is due, Eskom is on a roll and we should at least show a modicum of appreciation. Today (Wednesday 10 April 2024) represents 14 days without load-shedding. Hell, this feels a bit like watching Max Verstappen in his Red Bull in 2023, ticking off consecutive GP victories.
Nevertheless, how long does Eskom have to hang on to seal a new long-shedding-free record? Well, the previous longest run without load-shedding was 19 days. This was posted between Friday 15 December 2023 (our Rugby World Cup public holiday) and Tuesday 2 January 2024. Yoh, remember how pissed everyone was when the power was cut on Tweede Nuwe Jaar? We almost all instantly forgot about the record run Eskom had achieved.
ESKOM RECORD RUN
Nevertheless, counting the current sequence from Thursday 28 March (just before the Easter long weekend), we need to get to Tuesday 16 April to attain an all-new record of 20 days. The question must be, can Eskom actually pull it off? And, how has it managed to survive the appalling weather of the week? Normally a mere spit of rain and a stiff breeze is enough to send Eskom’s stations tripping!
According to The Citizen, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa credit’s planned maintenance and improved Eskom management for reduced load-shedding. According to the minister, Eskom brought Medupi back earlier than anticipated. The initial expectation was to bring it back online only in 2025. But now, in the next five months, Eskom will add a further 25 000 MW of generation capacity to the grid.
NOT AN ACCIDENT
The positive performance so far this year is in stark contrast to 2023, in which South Africa experienced 332 days of load-shedding, bringing the economy to its knees. “The kind of improvement we are witnessing at Eskom is not an accident, it’s an investment made by competent men and women. However, if there is load shedding tomorrow, it doesn’t mean the trendline has dissipated,” explained Ramokgopa.
If the state power supplier can reach next Tuesday 16 April 2024, it may almost make the recent 12.8% electricity tariff hikes seem bearable.
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