ESKOM load shedding - Honest incompetence or ruse?

[Rigil Kent]

This received on Whatsapp. The memo suggests that the power cuts are due to, essentially, dishonesty. It's not clear cut to me, either way. What do we think?

Whatever the State Capture under the former President it is child's play when compared to the open shameless rape that is about to happen right under our noses for a vital and necessary service for the average South African

Ramaphosa (South Africa's President) is married to Patrice Motsep e's Sister - Tshepo Motsepe

Jeff Radebe (South Africa's Renewable Energy Minister
is married to Patrice Motsepe's Sister - Bridgette Motsepe Radebe

So both the president and Energy Minister
are married to sisters of a Man who own the biggest and leading
Energy Company in the country African Rainbow Energy & Power (AREP).

 Brian Dames is the CEO of African Rainbow Energy and Power (Pty) Ltd (AREP). He is the former Group CEO of Eskom. In  December 2018, Brain Dames resigned from the Eskom Sustainability Task Team due to conflict of interest. AREP investment or business strategy is on Generation, Transmission and Distribution. Eskom according to President Ramaphosa SONA 2019 will be broken down into Generation, Transmission and Distribution. Breaking Eskom into 3 entities exactly matching to AREP's strategy raises eyebrows. AREP is ran by a former Group CEO of Eskom who was initially in the Eskom Sustainability Task Team raises more eyebrows. The fact that all these decision makers are related is mind-blowing. The fact that Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has refused to release the names of the owners of 27 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) who have entered into multi-billion-rand agreements with government is unscrupulous.

Then the President authorizes an energy deal with independent power producers (IPP)

Then the Minister of Energy Signs that deal worth an estimates 56 billion

Now the next thing is to create a falsified energy crises in the country that will be so severe that business will take a serious hit for example the new load shedding schedule  In order to render Eskom incapacitated

The bigger plan is to intentionally, purposefully create and promulgate a plan that Eskom is incapacitated so that the brothers in-Laws are set for a in your face take over of this crucial South African asset.

Wake up South Africa before it's too late elections are coming up. WAKE UP.

[Mefiante]

Ever since its inception and in line with power utilities worldwide, Eskom has always comprised those three operational divisions (Generation, Transmission, Distribution) because they are the logical business units into which power supply naturally divides.  To make a BIG SCARY THING of this normal status quo as if it was somehow significant or abnormal is the very hallmark of the conspiracy buff.  That’s in addition to the many poor spelling and grammar instances that pervade the message, which in itself is often a good circumstantial indicator that one isn’t dealing with a hale mind.

(To be sure, in Eskom’s case, those three business units are housed under the same roof and report to the same supervisory structures.  Ramphama-ding-dong’s plan is that they be turned into independent business units, each with its own autonomy and separate reporting and accounting lines.  Why this prospect so scares assorted entities is something of a puzzle; one should strongly suspect ignorance here because the three units would in any case remain state-owned.  The reason for the independence is to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency, little else besides.)

That said, it’s fairly certain that some subterfuge is afoot:  six or seven power generating units all failing more or less simultaneously?  It’s possible, of course, but extremely improbable.  Our suspicion is that it’s underhanded sabotage by elements that fear the coming of the light of unbundling—that is, to discredit the new dispensation by desperate measures that supposedly show how Eskom would be better off were it to be kept in one piece.  The point has been made elsewhere that a forensic probe into Eskom’s history over the past two decades will likely expose malfeasance that makes the Guptas and Bosasa look like a Sunday picnic.

'Luthon64

[brianvds]

That said, it’s fairly certain that some subterfuge is afoot:  six or seven power generating units all failing more or less simultaneously?  It’s possible, of course, but extremely improbable.  Our suspicion is that it’s underhanded sabotage by elements that fear the coming of the light of unbundling—that is, to discredit the new dispensation by desperate measures that supposedly show how Eskom would be better off were it to be kept in one piece.  The point has been made elsewhere that a forensic probe into Eskom’s history over the past two decades will likely expose malfeasance that makes the Guptas and Bosasa look like a Sunday picnic.

'Luthon64

Yup, that was also the conspiracy theory I heard: that there was a conspiracy by senior elements in Eskom to punish the government and the country for threatening them. What I actually find quite heartening is that government ministers have called for an investigation, calling Eskom's actions "sabotage." Which it pretty much is, if such allegations were to be proven true. And what it tells me is that finally, at long last, the governing party itself has become fed up with the endless power cuts. Perhaps, at long last, there will now be a proper investigation.

Personally I don't care if they find Jan van Riebeeck guilty, or lock up Eskom's top management, or get Jeff Radebe's brother-in-law to build seven new generation units, as long as they can get the fucking power up and running and reliable, because I am one of the small businesses being affected.

As for creating a false crisis, they hardly need to do that what with all the real ones they have already created...

[BoogieMonster]

Honestly, did anyone think when they started getting rid of competent and experienced people and replacing them with BEE hires this wouldn't someday transpire?

[brianvds]

Honestly, did anyone think when they started getting rid of competent and experienced people and replacing them with BEE hires this wouldn't someday transpire?

Someone told me yesterday that at Megawatt Park alone there are more than four hundred employees who draw salaries but do nothing whatever, or who have the same job description as several other employees. The whole thing has become a charity for fat cats.

I don't actually mind the stealing as such, or at least, I am used to it: the apartheid government was every bit as corrupt, and stole every bit as much. But its minsters at least fulfilled their actual functions before starting to steal. I would be perfectly happy if they appointed four hundred stealing fat cats, if they can only keep the frickin' power on.