Power cuts likely to continue for the next 18 months

Eskom says consumers are likely to experience continued load shedding for the next 18 months.

The power utility’s new CEO Andre de Ruyter says the power grid remains constrained, unpredictable and volatile.

He addressed the media at Eskom’s headquarters in Megawatt Park, Johannesburg, on the power provider’s new maintenance plan.

“We have developed a comprehensive plan, which we took to our board and the board supported it and this will enable us to perform the necessary rigorous maintenance on our power plants and this maintains that we will revert to our original philosophy maintenance and essentially what it entails is that instead of differing maintenance and instead of postponing, we intend to return to the cycle of maintaining a plant as per the original manufacturers guidelines,” he said.

De Ruyter also talked tough against corruption, warning that no corrupt activities will be tolerated under his watch.

“We are aware of the fact that any crisis of corruption still remaining within Eskom will hinder our efforts to turn around the organisation and also impact negatively on our finances and we are, therefore, accelerating our efforts to lifestyle audits and forensic investigations and we will roll that out to certain areas where we believe we are at risk. We are perusing civil claims from entities and individuals who have benefited contracts that have entered into unlawfully with Eskom in the past.”

#Eskom De Ruyter says they are working with law enforcement officers in order to bring to book those who have been involved in corrupt activities. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/WxnygKRGry

— #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) January 31, 2020

#Eskom Oberholzer:We have a budget of 7 Billion rands to burn Gas but to date we have spent R2 Billion. These are very thirsty machines. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/Ly4BQfa8CX

— #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) January 31, 2020

#Eskom Oberholzer: The board has given is their full blessing to go ahead with the philosophical maintenance. We are also going back to OEM’s. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/dD2vQ2mM09

— #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) January 31, 2020

Watch related videos below: 

[embedded content]

[embedded content]