Verulam resident Simon Dehal writes:

Clarens is a beautiful small country town in the Free State that is a popular tourist resort, lying at the foothills of the majestic sandstone Maluti Mountains.

Well done to this jewel of the Eastern Free State on being the first town/city in South Africa to introduce the phenomenon of group energy curtailment.

This unique intervention ensures that rolling blackouts and Eskom’s dreaded loadshedding are things of the past in this picturesque place.

With the co-operation of the town and township residents and businesses, curtailment has become a reality, to the envy of the greater country.

Tourism continues as normal to the town’s benefit and generates much finances for local businesses.

Surely if Clarens can introduce the brilliant innovation of electricity curtailment, other areas, especially small towns and villages, can replicate this good thing with application of wisdom and the co-operation of all stakeholders.

This will be a win-win situation for all.

Congratulations Clarens you beauty with your great trout – reputably the best in Mzansi – and a host of tourist attractions. You are on my bucket list.

May energy curtailment move forward quickly as we bid loadshedding goodbye.

Not even the danger and disgrace of getting whipped at the polls in the 29 May national and provincial elections seems to stir the inefficient and corrupt ruling party of the ANC to take more concerted and serious actions to rid the country of the loadshedding scourge.

This sadly has crippled our lives and the economy, led to severe hardship, loss of jobs and put a damper on foreign businesses investing locally. Curtailment provides hope amid the lingering energy gloom.

Ed – Load curtailment is not new as many municipalities manage their own load, but the concept of ‘group curtailment’, where a community manages its own load curtailment – was indeed piloted in Clarens. I wonder whether Ballito could be next?

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