Another Round Of Load Shedding Puts Eskom Restructuring Plans Back Into Focus

As Eskom grapples with another extended round of load shedding, questions are again being asked about plans to restructure the utility given its deeply entrenched problems.

South Africans are back within the grips of rolling blackouts, which Eskom is blaming on capacity issues brought on by the further breakdown of units.

Stage 2 load shedding is scheduled until Friday morning but this is not guaranteed.

Rolling blackouts are back and some energy experts said that South Africans should not be surprised.

Plans were under way to effect changes at the struggling utility to unbundle it into three parts for better management, which are generation, transmission and distribution.

But there’s fierce resistance, with unions concerned that this would lead to a jobs bloodbath.

Energy expert Adil Nchabeleng said that consumers should prepare for a long year of rolling blackouts as Eskom struggled to keep the lights on.

“It’s a nightmare crisis. Either you’re running the car into the wall all the time.”

It was not clear when Eskom, under the leadership of new CEO Andre de Ruyter, would elaborate on the unbundling plans.

He started his mammoth task this week, having been roped in a little earlier than initially planned.

EWN