In a country, which was once the shining economic leader, a GDP-Growth Elephant, the lights are out again due to another phase of Load Shedding! We all remember the previous times and the scrambling for PV Solar Systems, generators and cheap Diesel. Yes, we are back! Thank you ESKOM!
The crisis does not come unexpected as all foreign engineers have beens sent back and Medupi and Kusile are a playground for university graduates and ill-appointed protegees, who try to get an ultra-modern power station going. Meanwhile the units at both plants are mostly offline, the ash and dust silos are overfull and pollute the air the plants are supposed to breathe and ill-advised capacity increases and longer maintenance intervals lead now to unit failures.
But what does the government care?
Ramaphosa shows his charismatic smile, he just signed off the National Minimum Wage Act, which will drive farming businesses and mining operations into bankruptcy, the Immigration Regulation Amendments, which did not really ease child travel, put additional costs on spousal visas for Notarial Contracts and pretty much make general Work Visas and Business Visas impossible.
Great job, Mr. President, you are a worthy successor to Jacob Zuma, we “admire” the energy with which you appoint the remaining Zuma Sycophants as Ministers and pass legislation that will cripple this country and its economy. However, we strongly hope that all residents of South Africa will remember, comes election day next year!