January 16, 2023
South Africa: Citizens Threaten Power Utility, Govt With Legal Action, Demand Stop to Rolling Blackouts
Several South African politicians and business people have instructed a legal team from seven law firms to demand that the government stops cutting the country's power. If this… Read more »
January 15, 2023
South Africa: National Shutdown Threat in Protest Against Eskom's Rolling Blackouts and Tariff Hikes
A national shutdown might be looming in response to the Eskom tariff hikes and ongoing rolling blackouts. Read more »
December 22, 2022
South Africa: Karpowership's Environmental Hazards Controversially Reduced in New Eia Specs
The revisions appear to have lowered several of the predicted risk profiles for harbour workers should fires or explosions break out accidentally around the proposed gas-to-power… Read more »
South Africa: Humanitarian Crisis Looms in Karoo As Eskom Institutes Load Reduction On Top of Rolling Blackouts in Defaulting Municipalities
Many defaulting municipalities across SA were hit on Thursday by load reduction -- on top of load shedding. In the Karoo, with its high summer temperatures and a water system… Read more »
December 14, 2022
South Africa: De Ruyter's Resignation Sparks Political Call for State of Disaster at Eskom
Soon after the resignation of Eskom's CEO, André de Ruyter, was confirmed on Wednesday, political parties raised concerns over the state of the energy utility, which has… Read more »
South Africa: André De Ruyter's Year From Hell - and Then He Lost His Political Cover
As he faced down sabotage, a week of savage attacks by the Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and a grid in freefall on his own, Eskom's CEO André de… Read more »
South Africa: De Ruyter's Resignation From Eskom a 'Major Blow' for Power Utility's Reform, Warn Business and Investment Experts
The timing of André de Ruyter's departure as the Eskom CEO is arguably terrible as SA is in the throes of unprecedented and sustained levels of rolling blackouts. There will… Read more »
November 15, 2022
South Africa: Power Utility Warns of Another Six to 12 Months of Rolling Blackouts
South Africans are in for a dim festive season. Eskom has announced that 'protracted load shedding' will continue for 'six to 12 months', as major repairs and capital investment… Read more »
October 09, 2022
South Africa: Coalitions, Collusions, Collisions - ANC's Renewed Efforts With ActionSA Inject Extra Energy Into the Political Biosphere
With public claims being made by the ANC that it could again regain power in the three metros in Gauteng by Christmas, there are some indications that this renewed effort could… Read more »
September 18, 2022
South Africa: Ramaphosa Cuts Short Foreign Trips to Address Power Crisis
After an urgent virtual meeting with ministers and officials, the President is on his way back to South Africa to 'deal with current Stage 6 load shedding' crippling the country. Read more »
August 20, 2022
South Africa: Eskom Technicians Live in Daily Fear As Security Threats and Violent Attacks On Staff Escalate
Eskom has been temporarily suspending services in some parts of the country as attacks on staff escalate. It says there have been 14 attacks on its staff in Gauteng up to 31 July.… Read more »
July 25, 2022
South Africa: Here It Is - Ramaphosa's 'Energy Action Plan' to End Rolling Blackouts
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night announced what he called an 'energy action plan' to tackle South Africa's power crisis. This is what the plan entails. Read more »
July 18, 2022
South Africa: Does South Africa Really Need a Second Eskom?
Dr Roland Ngam is programme manager for climate justice and socioecological transformation at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Southern Africa. Views expressed are not necessarily… Read more »
South Africa: The Money Ties That Bind the ANC - Are They the Barrier to Fixing South Africa's Energy Woes?
Liziwe McDaid is The Green Connection's Strategic Lead. She is a qualified scientist, teacher, and adult educator, with a Master's Degree in Climate Change and Development from the… Read more »
July 11, 2022
South Africa: Koeberg's Skills Exodus Puts Extension-of-Life Project Further On the Back Foot
Whether they are leaving because the ship is sinking or because the offshore opportunities are simply too good to pass up, the effect is the same: the exodus of skilled staff from… Read more »
South Africa: Ramaphosa - We Can and Will Do More to End Load Shedding
In the coming days we will be able to announce a comprehensive set of actions to achieve much faster progress in tackling load shedding. Read more »
July 06, 2022
South Africa: Eleven Days Without Water - Load Shedding in Eastern Cape Wrecks Middelburg Borehole Pumps
The people of Midros in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape have been without water for 11 days after crucial borehole pumps burnt out during load shedding on 25 June. It has taken the… Read more »
July 07, 2022
South Africa: SA Lags Behind in Facing Up to the Magnitude of Global Energy Insecurity
Acute energy insecurity threatens much of the world right now. But there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel in the hardest-hit developed economy, Europe, where… Read more »
July 05, 2022
South Africa: Power Utility Signs One-Year Deal With Unions for 7% Wage Hike While Blackouts Continue
Eskom signed a one-year wage agreement for 7% pay hike on Tuesday with three unions, bringing an end to the threat of further strike action widely blamed for tipping the grid into… Read more »
July 04, 2022
South Africa: Ramaphosa Seeks Solutions to Power Crisis Following Backlash Over Rolling Blackouts
The ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) sat for a virtual meeting on Monday in which a number of key issues were discussed - including Eskom and its inability to keep the… Read more »
July 03, 2022
South Africa: Joburg Council Pumps Money Into Fixing Power Infrastructure and Finding IPPs
The City of Johannesburg is on a mission to improve its electricity infrastructure after years of cable theft and substation vandalism. The move is considered strategic in… Read more »
June 30, 2022
South Africa: On the Job With One of the Unsung Heroes Trying to Alleviate Power Crisis
With South Africa in the throes of a Stage 6 power crisis, frustration is at an all-time high. But the people on the ground working to 'put out the fires' might just be the unsung… Read more »
June 29, 2022
South Africa: How the City of Cape Town Managed to Avoid Stage 6 Load Shedding Thanks to Hydroelectric Scheme
While the rest of South Africa is being hit with Stage 6 load shedding, the City of Cape Town has offered some relief to its residents through the use of the Steenbras… Read more »
South Africa: Power Utility Strike Not Quite Over As Some Workers Remain Defiant
The unprotected strike at Eskom, blamed for plunging South Africa into the throes of Stage 6 load shedding, is juddering to a halt but is not completely over. Employees at four… Read more »
June 28, 2022
South Africa: Power Utility Strike Appears to Be Over After Unions Call On Workers to 'Normalise the Situation'
The Numsa and NUM unions have called on workers to 'normalise the situation' after they said Eskom had agreed to return to the bargaining table. That is a transparent code to their… Read more »