By Neil De Beer
So this week the unacceptable, but not surprising tariff increase of 32 percent, was granted to Eskom, by NERSA.
Weirdly enough they made the announcement whilst the majority of us, were under stage 6 load shedding. The hard facts of the now collapsed state institution, is in no way can this be saved from its final lights off switch.
Having more than 400 billion rand debt and increasing, a failing infrastructure, a loss of senior management and total in capability to stop load shedding, no doubt the country cannot be blamed for reaching its final hope or patience with state.
It’s very clear that undeniably this failure of Eskom, will not affect the wealthy as much again it will destroy the already poor and vulnerable. I say this with no frowning at the rich, whom will just buy bigger generators in a condescending manner, but stating the very bleak facts.
Again Cyril Ramaphosa, makes the now known RA RA speeches of intervention, war rooms and committees, this coming from a man whom a few years ago, promised that in a two year period, load shedding would be in the past. Well, Cyril?
South Africa and its economy, needs huge foreign direct investment (FDI). With no guarantee of uninterrupted power supply to these would be industry investors and making things worse, the bill on land nationalization, its clear that government are scoring huge own goals, as good as the man whom switches us off for load shedding.
It has become time, that other measures, huge out the box thinking and a no retreat solution must now happen. Mass investment into green energy, huge release of red tape and drastic action is all that now will suffice, nothing less.
We cannot fear the sharpening of pencils at Eskom, we cannot fear the scaling down of an over staffed Eskom and more than that we must not fear to take action to make this happen.
Should all this not come naturally from state and Eskom, we the people will have to consider taking this energy kabaal to court and once and for all force the liberty and freedom for all to generate our own power and face this Eskom HORROR!
Neil De Beer is a African Geo - political expert and heads up the IFA Invest Fund Africa group.
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