Western Cape to relieve residents from Eskom and buy power from independent producers: Steenhuisen

Load-shedding will soon be a thing of the past for DA-run municipalities in the Western Cape including the City of Cape Town. 

DA leader John Steenhuisen said this on Tuesday while delivering what the party called “the true state of the nation address” (Sona).

Steenhuisen tore into power utility Eskom which implemented load-shedding earlier this week to “conserve and replenish” emergency reserves. 

He said the Western Cape government was planning to move away from Eskom’s power grid and purchase power from independent producers. 

He said this move will demonstrate one of the ways which a post-ANC SA could look like. 

“The City of Cape Town and several other DA-run municipalities in the Western Cape are planning to protect residents from Eskom’s collapse by buying electricity directly from independent producers,” said Steenhuisen. 

He said move will prove Eskom, the sole state-owned power producer, does not have to be the only option. 

“When that happens, people will be able to see the benefits for themselves, and they will realise we don’t have to stick to the ANC’s outdated model of one massive state-owned supplier. 

“Cape Town routinely shields its residents from one stage of load-shedding through the well-maintained Steenbras dam hydroelectric scheme,” said Steenhuisen. 

On Monday Eskom management provided an update on the state of the power utility and said challenges it face include a skills shortage and incompetence of executives. 

CEO Andre de Ruyter said underperforming executives will not be tolerated and he will implement consequence management against them. 

“We are not satisfied at all with the performance of some senior executives,” he said.

He said he had given instructions to implement sanctions against those implicated.

“I can give the public the assurance that we are not going to be tolerating poor performance and will be taking appropriate action against underperforming people who do not live up to their duty,” he said.

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