Next year’s enormous hike in power prices, for which Eskom applied, will make no difference to load shedding.
That was the response of the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, to the FF Plus's question about the matter earlier today.
The FF Plus put to the Minister that ordinary South African power consumers are expected to foot the bill for the ANC's mistakes, and that they are essentially subsidising the incompetence and fraud at Eskom.
Minister Gordhan said that load shedding will remain with South Africans for quite some time, and projected a period of nine to twelve months.
He added that anyone who thinks that there is a 'quick fix' for the country's power problems and load shedding must 'think again'.
Ultimately, load shedding will only come to an end when enough power is generated, according to Minister Gordhan.
The Minister's response clearly demonstrates the ANC government's indifference towards South Africa's taxpayers.
It appears as if government has no grasp of the burden on ordinary consumers' shoulders.
It is equally unacceptable that the Minister is trying to lay all the blame for the countless lifelines amounting to billions of rand over many years at the door of state capture.
Rather, it is the result of a combination of various factors, including Affirmative Action (AA), Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), cadre deployment and the consequent incompetence and corruption stemming from that. State capture is part of it, no doubt.
But now ordinary South Africans are expected to keep on giving and giving to fund the ANC's failure.
The FF Plus is of the opinion that the public must not attach too much value to the Minister's opinion that the country's power problems could be resolved within a year.
In fact, seeing as the ANC government is involved, it is hard to believe that things will not just keep on deteriorating.
The only permanent solution is to replace the government, and 2024 will afford the people an opportunity to do so. South Africa deserves better than the ANC.
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