The DA says the electricity Eskom sells could be used to reduce load shedding in South Africa. Photo: Flickr
Eskom called out for selling electricity to neighbours while SA is in the dark
‘It does not seem fair that the ANC government is supplying other countries with electricity at the expense of South Africans at home,’ said the DA.
The DA says the electricity Eskom sells could be used to reduce load shedding in South Africa. Photo: Flickr
The Democratic Alliance (DA) intends to write to the government to ask whether Eskom is selling electricity to neighbouring countries despite South Africa experiencing one of the worst periods of power outages.
DA TAKES AIM AT ESKOM ELECTRICITY SALES
According to the opposition party, analysts estimate that load shedding costs the economy between R500 million and R700 million per stage, per day.
“Stage 6 load shedding has crippled both large and small businesses, families are sitting in the dark with some already without food and unable to stay warm,” said DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, Ghaleb Cachalia.
The DA feels that the electricity sold in the previous financial years could have reduced the stages of load shedding for “ordinary South Africans” if the supply was kept here.
Eskom reportedly sold 15 189GWh and 13 497GWh to neighbouring countries in 2020 and 2021, respectively, according to its Integrated Annual Report for 2021.
Cachalia said it does not seem fair that the government is supplying other countries at the expense of South Africa.
He said the party will be writing to Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, and Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, to ask whether Eskom has any contracts in place for the sale of electricity to any other country in the 2022 and 2023 financial years.
If that is the case, the DA wants to know how much power is sent beyond South Africa’s borders annually.
“If it is found that they are continuing to supply other countries with electricity while South Africans sit in the dark, they must tell us how these contracts are affected, if at all, when there is insufficient supply on home soil,” said Cachalia,
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