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Power problems

IT WAS rather disconcerting to read in the South African media this week how large the problems with our power stations are. This could have severe consequences for the country’s economy.

Some figures published in the media illustrate the extent of the problem. The availability of power stations was 75% this year, and the reason was “unplanned faults”. Normally, an Eskom source said, the availability should be 85%.

According to the reports, in 2012 such “unplanned faults” were responsible for the generation of 3 525 MW per day less than should normally have been the case. Last year this figure shot up to 5 813 MW per day, and so far it was 4 882 MW per day in 2014.

The reason for this situation, according to an unnamed consultative engineer, who allegedly has years of experience previously working for Eskom, is “bad planning, a shortage of experience and know-how, and the deterioration of power stations’ stock of spare parts”.

He was quoted: “There is a total lack of planning. The people are academically well qualified, but they are young, inexperienced and there is absolutely nobody who can lead them. They are entirely ignorant about the protocol and procedures which are used in the utilisation of power stations.”

What is known about the background which led to this situation by and large confirms the engineer’s opinion.

It may be politically incorrect to say it, but it is nevertheless true that the old government left an excellent infrastructure – the best in Africa – to the ANC. The new government, however, clearly did not realise that such an infrastructure did not fall from heaven, and that it has to be continuously maintained, as well as modernised and extended when – not if – the need arises.

Fact is that the economy and the population has grown significantly since 1994. And, therefore, so have the demands on the power grid.

It is like an iron law: No electricity, no modern economy. Without freely available electricity, a community may perhaps be able to keep a 19th century-like agricultural economy with home industries going, but certainly not one geared for the 21st century.

What happened in South Africa, was this: In 1998 the Cabinet was advised that planning had to start soon for the building of new power stations in order to keep pace with the expected increase in demand for electricity. However, the ANC took a lackadaisical approach. They had other priorities, like the dismantling of apartheid’s remains, as well as – dare one say it – the feathering of their own nests.

Also, the previously white leadership of Eskom was replaced by the deployment of ANC cadres without enough knowledge or experience to manage an extremely complex matter as the durable provision of electricity to a growing economy. In the process Eskom’s institutional memory was also drastically reduced, with the present situation as a result.

In 2010 the Cabinet suddenly woke up and decided on the building of two new power plants, Medupi and Kusile. Medupi, the first, was supposed to start operating in 2012, but is still not working.

According to Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, she is “confident” that Medupi will start supplying power in December. But, of course, we have heard similar promises before, and the proof of the pudding will lie in the eating.

Even then, the problems will probably not be solved. The fact is that the maintenance of the present 13 coal-fired power plants are considerably in arrears and is falling further behind every day.

The explosion at the Duvha power station in Mpumalanga in March, for instance, appears to be the result of a lack of maintenance, which may in turn be ascribed to a lack of experience.

Some experts even believe South Africa could conceivably be hit by a total power outage. The possibility is judged “unlikely, but not impossible”.

Be that as it may, even without an outage it is clear that the South African economic growth is being built on a slowly crumbling base. And this does not only apply to electricity supply, important as that is. One also refers to the deteriorating road network, the supply of clean water, sewerage, and so on.

At the bottom of all of this is the ANC’s policy of cadre deployment. Requirements like honesty and competence are but bywords in the party’s vocabulary when allocating high jobs to pals. Rather, questions like which faction of which party the candidate supports, are more important.

In the meantime, the South African economy – and thus also the possibility of solving the grinding poverty of the masses – suffers. South Africa needs a drastic turn-about in its government policies.

Or, perhaps, a government replacement?

READ NEXT: Prepare for big electricity shock

 - Fin24

* Leopold Scholtz is an independent political analyst who lives in Europe. Views expressed are his own.

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