No light in load-shed tunnel

The threat of load-shedding will be with us for at least the next two months.

Eskom CEO Brian Dames told the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday that the system would remain tight, and that the state-owned energy company would be vulnerable to unforeseen events over the period.

But Dames went to great pains not to lay the blame on Eskom's personnel. He said that, instead of criticising staff at the Kendal power station - where wet coal caused a standstill last week - he visited the site with Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba this week to "motivate" staff.

He also defended the bonuses Eskom had paid to its executives .

"How many days have there been load-shedding in the past six years?" he asked.

"How many days?"

Eskom last week called its fourth power emergency in as many months and told consumers that it would start load-shedding.

It was resolved in less than a day, but not without confusion about schedules for cuts and frustration with Eskom's website.

The Democratic Alliance has demanded that Eskom executives pay back their bonuses for the last two years - totalling as much as R31-million - as cuts started.

The DA has started a petition calling for the utility's executive staff to pay back their bonuses. Within the first two days 7000 people had signed the petition.

The opposition party has also asked Eskom to review its commitments to providing electricity to neighbouring countries and provide power to South Africa first.

Dames is due to step down at the end of this month. He said he has not been informed of the identity of the person who would replace him, but claimed that Eskom had "capable" people to fill his shoes.

The department of public enterprises has not yet made an announcement about a successor to Dames, despite having only 20 days before he leaves office.

The chamber yesterday said it remained concerned over power security, but has been reassured by the "detailed explanation of the pressures faced by Eskom and their plans to respond to them".