News24.com | LIVE: Can\'t yet say when load shedding will be over\, Gordhan says

LIVE: Eskom has neglected the maintenance of power plants for a decade, admits chair

2019-03-19 10:29

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza will brief the media on electricity supply problems.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA ? DECEMBER 06: Public e
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Last Updated at 11:26
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Markets LIVE: Rand struggles to gain ground on back of load shedding

"The rand has remained largely flat, trading in a tight range between R14.38 and R14.50, where it is expected to remain," Peregrine Treasury Solutions's Bianca Botes said.
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The last option is load shedding. 
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Mabuza: The processes that are in government are not geared up for the speed that is required. Money intended for plant maintenance was never used for this purpose. 

"We don't have the time, we don't have the money"
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Mabuza: You have not for the last 5 years done maintainance. This equipment has worn, has torn. There is no other answer but fixing it.
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Mabuza: I see Eskom in 2 streams: the routine stream, the process you need to follow to make things work. Then there is a crisis stream. That crisis would need a crisis reaction methodology. We need time, we need speed to get equipment and people. And you need money.
11:14
"We do need time with the equipment." - Mabuza. 
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"Structural, operational and financial - how Mabuza desribes Eskom power struggle. 
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Boiler tube leaks are visible They need time to cool down in order to be fixed.
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Coal power plants of 40-50 years old still being used.
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No end in sight to load shedding

-    Shortage of around 10 000 MW daily.

-    Will have clarity on exact interventions and timeframe in two weeks.

-    Eskom/task team/government hoped to have stabilised grid by end of January, but new challenges emerged.

-    Main issue is lack of maintenance at power stations, not done properly for last decade, now breaking down.

-    Between Feb 2017 and Feb 2018 system tripped  300 times, between Feb 2018 and Feb 2019 it tripped 495 times.

-    Four options: (1) import electricity (2) burn diesel (spent R4,5 bn the last four months to keep turbines going) (3) build new power stations and (4) load shedding.

-    Problems structural, financial, operational.

-    Internal resistance against reform and restructuring process, state capture elements still prevalent.
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'No magic formula to solve power crisis' - Gordhan

There is no magic formula to solve the current load shedding crisis and the Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan is unable to say when the rotational blackouts will be over.

Gordhan was briefing the media on Tuesday, along with senior Eskom officials as the country entered its fifth consecutive day of Stage Two to Stage Four load shedding.

“At this point in time, we are still getting a better grasp of the technical problems,” Gordhan said.
10:59
Gordhan admits government has not communicated adequately about load shedding. Promised to improve in the next few days 
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We will communicate better with the South African public. Frankly and more regularly. We need to say more than just that to South African public. 
10:52
We want to see how all of us can work together to solve tis problem. We want to work with municipalities.
10:51
"We need to complete these investigations" - Gordhan on where they stand with load shedding 
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At this point in time we still are getting a better grasp of problems Eskom power stations are facing. 
10:48
Gordhan says a special crew from the SANDF and Eskom technicians have been flying over parts of Mozambique where the transmission lines and pylons are, to assess the level of damage.
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Gordhan says Eskom and government are doing the best they can, under very difficult circumstances.
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Gordhan says he knows people are very frustrated with the disruptions due to loadshedding. "we want to apologise for the additional burden we are placing".
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Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says they want to share "very frankly" what the energy situation is in South Africa.
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Eskom's 'perfect storm' and how the power utility is managing the crisis

South Africa has been oscillating between Stage 2 and Stage 4 load shedding since Friday, cutting up to 4 000 MW from the national grid per day.

The rolling blackouts are expected to continue until Wednesday, with demand expected to taper off towards the end of the week, as Thursday is a public holiday. 
10:32

Markets LIVE: Rand likely to feel weight of load shedding

The longer load shedding continues, the more of an effect it will have on the South African economy and irk ratings agencies, says TreasuryONE's Andre Botha.

 
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Gordhan, Mabuza to shed light on SA’s power crisis

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and the chairperson of the Eskom Board, Jabu Mabuza, will hold a media briefing to give an update on electricity supply problems on Tuesday morning in Johannesburg. 

South Africans have faced five consecutive days of load shedding, including power cuts at night, as power utility Eskom battles a generation shortfall. 

Stage 2 load shedding was implemented on Friday. This moved to Stage 4 on Saturday, a weekend in summer when demand is typically low.

The country has remained between stage 2 and stage 4 since then. The rolling cuts have hit small and medium sized businesses, caused traffic snarl-ups traffic and led to some cellphone network failures. 
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