President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Eskom’s report of 100 days without load shedding but has warned the people not to relax as power cuts could return due to the grid being vulnerable.
On Friday, the power utility announced and welcomed hitting the 100-day mark without power outages.
This is the longest continuous period without load shedding since 2020.
Writing in his weekly online newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said while this is a welcome milestone, it is not a reason to relax.
“Our electricity system remains vulnerable and we cannot yet rule out a possibility of further load shedding.
“Rather, this milestone encourages us to do more and to work faster to ensure a secure supply of electricity now and into the future,” he said.
He said the improvement of power supply was also a great relief for businesses.
While the Government of National Unity (GNU) begins its work, Ramaphosa has said they will sustain the current momentum of no load shedding.
“We are committed to continue and complete the far-reaching structural reforms we started during the sixth administration to resolve the immediate electricity supply challenges and lay the groundwork for energy security into the future.
“These reforms included the removal of the licensing threshold for new power generation projects, tax incentives for rooftop solar, opening more bid windows for renewable energy projects, and improving Eskom’s operational viability,” he said.
He has pleaded with citizens, as well as businesses to all pull in the same direction to support the hard-working Eskom team in its fight against load shedding.
“By focusing on the broader picture and by scaling up what has already been achieved, we are in a far better position to achieve the task we have set ourselves – to end load shedding and achieve an energy-secure future.
“We have reached 100 days without load shedding by working together,” he said.
Ramaphosa also said this should be encouragement to strengthen the collaboration between all stakeholders in both the public and private sectors.
IOL Politics