The periodic electricity blackouts are expected to reach a critical stage as winter arrives in the Southern Hemisphere and sends energy demand soaring, experts warn.Over the past 15 years, South Africa's electricity crisis has been deepening, with power shortages blamed on insufficient investments in the country's ageing coal-fired power plants.
But more recently the power cuts have lengthened, and many people are forced to endure blackouts of up to 12 hours a day.Under pressure to end the power cuts, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared in February a National State of Disaster, a legal move introduced to prioritise efforts to address the problem.
Not least, the state of disaster was revoked after about two months, even though electricity supply has yet to improve. "I'll be brutally honest. It's going to be an exceptionally difficult winter," Ramokgopa told journalists in Pretoria last week.The energy situation is so dire that experts warn the country could be on the brink of a widespread collapse of its electricity grid.
Eskom, which provides the bulk of South Arica's electricity, can guarantee supplies of 27,000 megawatts, the new electricity minister has said.
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