Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
02 April 2023 | 22:36 CAT

Photo Credit: EWN

The tunnel has no end regarding the plans to address the country’s electricity crisis. The permanent high levels of load shedding are now also impacting the provision of water to households as infrastructure is crumbling and reservoirs are running dry. Connie Mulder, head of Research at the Solidarity Research Institute and national spokesperson for the trade union, discussed the issues around electricity at an event organised by the Freedom Market Foundation on Thursday.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Mulder said several factors have contributed to South Africa’s electricity crisis. However, his opinion suggests that at the heart of the crisis is the ANC government and their complete mismanagement of the energy crisis.

“We have not been in this energy crisis for 16 years and we have had the tools to get out of it for 15 of those 16 years,” he says.

Mulder suggests that the crisis could have halted with radical shifts towards more renewables or at least broke up Eskom’s monopoly much earlier. Neither has happened due to vested interest, mismanagement, corruption and ideology on the government’s side.

Meanwhile, there is good news as the situation to get the country out of the crisis has begun without the government.

Listen to the full interview with Host Annisa Essack on Radio Islam’s podcast.