South African president cuts trip short over electricity crisis at home

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa AFP

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday cut short an official visit to Egypt because of an electricity crisis brewing at home, his spokesperson confirmed.

The president has come under increasing criticism after the country’s embattled power utility Eskom enforced scheduled power cuts that have thrown the country into disarray and pose a threat to the economy.

John Steenhuisen, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, led a picket outside Eskom headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday, saying the “rolling blackouts” threaten to “throw the country’s economy over a precipice.”

For the past six days – and intermittently over the past decade – Eskom has enforced “load-shedding,” whereby power is cut for anything from two to four hours at a time in a bid to relieve pressure on the national grid.

Roads become gridlocked because traffic lights don’t function, businesses have to close, shopping centres are left in the dark and mines have to halt operations.

Steenhuisen called on Ramaphosa to leave the “ruins of a bygone era” in Cairo and attend to his own relic of the past – the power utility.

Indeed, Eskom’s problems were already apparent in 2008 when then-president Thabo Mbeki admitted that the government had failed to make provisions for increased generating capacity.

Since then, ageing power stations have not been maintained, and two new power stations, which have severely overrun their budgets, are still not operational.

Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko said Ramaphosa would meet with Eskom on Wednesday to be briefed on plans to resolve the crisis.

(dpa/NAN)

See a president far better than fooollhari. Soon the idiot will be in Daura with total blackout.. Yeye man.

Like for South Africa share for NIGERIA

Blackman never thinks beyond the stomach.

Nigeria is still in 1902 while south Africa and d rest of the world are living

mekaboy:
Blackman never thinks beyond the stomach.

In this case it's a combo of white, black & Indian men . A real " stronger together " team . They are working extra hours to collapse the company, so that it will be sold cheaply to themselves and their western handlers.

Abfinest007:
Nigeria is still in 1902 while south Africa and d rest of the world are living

You are brainwashed , & this is coming from a South African

NgwalandAbia:
See a president far better than fooollhari. Soon the idiot will be in Daura with total blackout.. Yeye man.

What is better about him ? .

This reminds me on how he sponsored & engineered chaos in the North West province to oust Supra, & then went to England to wear his usual superman Cape . Thuma Mina is a big scam