From left: Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan talks to Eskom Chairman Jabu Mabuza at the press conference relating to the 2018/2019 Intergrated Annual Results, 30 July 2019, at Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. Picture: Alaister Russell / Flickr / Amr Amr
From left: Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan talks to Eskom Chairman Jabu Mabuza at the press conference relating to the 2018/2019 Intergrated Annual Results, 30 July 2019, at Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. Picture: Alaister Russell / Flickr / Amr Amr
Everyone wants a scapegoat in times of load shedding, and Pravin Gordhan usually fits the bill. The Public Enterprises Minister has the affairs of Eskom in his portfolio, and he’s usually having to front-up for whatever disaster-class is being showcased by the utility. However, PG’s response to the Stage 6 crisis has left South Africans miffed.
Pravin Gordhan reacts to Stage 6 load shedding
Although Mzansi is back to a Stage 4 schedule of load shedding for the remainder of Tuesday, Monday broke new ground, as the heaviest rolling blackouts ever seen in 21st-century South Africa gripped the nation. Gordhan was quizzed about the chaos, and didn’t really “ace the test”.
“What has happened in the last 10 years is exactly what we’re trying to recover from. No long-term maintenance was ever carried out, as we’ve repeated many times. Some of those making comments on this matter are the ones responsible for the situation we find ourselves in.”
“On behalf of government, I am really sorry that we find ourselves in this position. The massive rainfall we have experienced over the past few days has caused problems for many of our people. It is not a big crisis, it is something we are managing. I would say this is a manageable crisis. We just need to apply our expertise.”
Pravin Gordhan
People aren’t happy with Pravin Gordhan
We’ve seen lead balloons go down better than this. Pravin Gordhan has been roundly chastised for downplaying the severity of the situation. Although his job is to keep the nation calm, his outright refusal to accept the scale of the crisis has tipped some social media users over the edge.
???? and media is quite content with the response just imagine if it was anyone else
— The Native (@Timmytom78) December 9, 2019
He is sleep walking.! ?
— Katleho (@Katleho29) December 9, 2019
??? hai hamba Pravin! What expertise? Mananging what???? It just keeps going downhill…no man all these people NEED TO GO
— Lerato Relo Manamela (@LeratoRelo) December 9, 2019
Latest load shedding news
A series of issues helped push the country into a new stage of darkness yesterday. Broken conveyer belts, flooded mines and boilers-on-the-blink – all allegedly caused by the hectic rain in the north-east – have been blamed for the heavy power outages. Stage 4 cuts remain in place, and they’ve already been implemented on Tuesday.
Samkelo "Is this a national crisis?"
— Nkgono Neria (@neriahlakotsa) December 9, 2019
Pravin Gordhan "It is not a big crisis, it is something we are managing." #stage6loadshedding pic.twitter.com/iucy65xVF8
