Eskom’s electricity woes continue on as warnings of loadshedding ring out.
The South African electricity public utility, warned that there was a high chance of load shedding on Monday, but only if it was absolutely necessary. The plant was experiencing a shortage of capacity due to a drop in generating units at the power stations.
The National Energy Regulator (NERSA) approved Eskom’s request for a tariff increase over the next three years. From 1 April the tariff will go up by 9.41%, next year it will be by 8,1%, and 5.22% in 2021.
In the public hearings regarding this matter, civil society and local businesses stressed that another increase in electricity tariffs was an expense they could not afford.
NUMSA rejected NERSA’s agreement to the increase, saying it was unfair to the working-class and the poor who were already struggling to keep their lights on.
Eskom, however, said the tariff hike was necessary to power the nation.
