LETTER: Urgent action needed amidst Eskom’s decline and Msukaligwa’s incompetence

Louis Bates, former principal of Laerskool Breyten writes:

I want to highlight some important facts to give context to our current situation:

1. Kimberley in the Northern Cape, is recognized as the earliest adopter of electric streetlights in 1882, setting a precedent for the African continent.
2. During the 1980s, Eskom supplied 75% of Africa’s electricity.
3. In 1994, Eskom offered some of the world’s lowest-cost electricity.
4. In 2001, Eskom was recognized as the number one power supply company globally.
5. However, in 2023, Eskom has become arguably the world’s worst electricity supplier, plagued by frequent power interruptions, unnecessary load-shedding, and load reduction.

The Msukaligwa local municipality exacerbates the situation with additional load reduction due to their inability to manage the crisis. Proper planning and competent leadership are crucial to addressing these issues effectively.

The municipality must:

• Appoint the most competent, educated individuals to positions of power.
• Choose a mayor based on credentials rather than politics.
• The same goes for the municipal manager.
• Emphasize meticulous planning, which is fundamental to success.
• Foster trust and transparency between leaders and the community.
• Root out corruption, imposing severe punishment on offenders.
• Uphold self-respect and discipline, as criminals undermine the community.

These measures are vital for progress.

The load reduction is a consequence of incompetent decision-makers lacking a grasp of planning:

• The municipality’s electricity demand exceeds the licensed amount, necessitating load reduction.
• The population has increased without infrastructure upgrades.
• It is my personal belief that misallocation of funds to pay extremely high salaries instead of upgrading the infrastructure has led to near bankruptcy and millions owed to Eskom.
• Priority is given to expanding housing in town instead of infrastructure upgrades, thus the municipality ignores contractual obligations. It rather wishes to please its voters.
• Criminals involved in illegal electricity generation and copper theft operate freely, while law-abiding residents suffer.

Additional load reduction and the challenges residents have to face:

• Discomfort for households, particularly the working class struggling to provide for their families.
• Essential tasks like doing the washing and ironing become difficult.
• Domestic workers losing their jobs due to a lack of electricity.
• Lunch preparation for children going to school and other tasks become challenging.
• Garden maintenance is hindered.
• Household appliances lose functionality, resulting in food spoilage.
• The elderly suffer in the dark without support.
• Water can not be pumped from reservoirs leaving residents with two crisis’s to deal with as water shortages also occur.
• Schools, businesses, and industries are severely impacted too

Trust in the Msukaligwa municipality has eroded. It is time for our community to make an educated choice regarding service delivery.

Corrupt officials have destroyed our once-prosperous town within two decades.

Eskom, once a powerhouse, teeters on the brink of collapse. Action must be taken to prevent further deterioration.