Energy expert Ted Blom has told Radio Islam Eskom is in a worse position than it’s ever been in the last two years as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

The embattled power utility has warned that it will resume load shedding in May, days after the expected lifting of the national lockdown.

The power cuts will further deepen the economic crisis the country faces.

Blom says while Eskom have been conducting maintenance on its ageing power stations during a decline in demand in the lockdown and although it’s helped Eskom, it is not enough.

“So, the fact of the matter is that Eskom is now in a worse position than it’s ever been in the last two years. It’s out of money, it’s lost money because of the lockdown. It’s lost in my calculations, it should’ve lost ten billion rand a month.”

Blom says Eskom can be saved, but it will be detrimental to businesses.

“Eskom’s only saving grace is if businesses close down and that you don’t back with that bang which will be very disastrous for the South African economy and for you and me as South African citizens.”

Eskom stated in March that its maintenance plan must be supported by the government or South Africa could expect “regular blackouts from power cuts of 8,000 megawatts by mid-2021”.

Listen to the interview with Ted Blom