Mantashe's comments come after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa approved an 18.65% Eskom tariff increase for the 2023/2024 financial year.
Last week, the regulator gave the green light to revenue of R318bn in 2023/2024 and R352bn in 2024/2025.
Eskom had applied for R351bn and R381bn, respectively.
The decision was made after considering public consultation, economic challenges, declining household income, declining investments, high unemployment, low industrial production and load-shedding.
The increase will come into effect from April 1 for Eskom direct customers, with municipalities to determine the date for their customers.
At the ANC’s recent 55th national conference, the party discussed Eskom being placed within the energy ministry, a movedslammed by some opposition parties.
The move would give power to Mantashe, who has been critical of Eskom in the past.
LISTEN | Eskom unburdening its debt to citizens: experts
Eskom can be fixed within the next 6 to 12 months, claims Mantashe
Image: Jeffrey Abrahams/Gallo Images
With the country plunged into stage 6 load-shedding and electricity tariff hikes on the cards, mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe claims Eskom can be fixed within the next six to 12 months.
Speaking on eNCA, Mantashe said: “Eskom must do introspection. Do we have the capacity, technically, to deal with the crisis? If not, can we go out and look for that capacity? If we don’t do that, it will be a very complex problem.
“It will take us six to 12 months to sort the issue if we pay attention to the issue.”
Mantashe said Eskom should focus on power station maintenance to increase generation from its existing capacity.
“In Eskom, we have 48,000MW connected to the grid but Eskom at best can give us 26,000MW. There is 22,000MW that is idling but connected. It is not decommissioned and if there was a focus on servicing and maintaining those megawatts, we would not have load-shedding.”
Moving Eskom to Mantashe's ministry would be a serious mistake
Mantashe's comments come after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa approved an 18.65% Eskom tariff increase for the 2023/2024 financial year.
Last week, the regulator gave the green light to revenue of R318bn in 2023/2024 and R352bn in 2024/2025.
Eskom had applied for R351bn and R381bn, respectively.
The decision was made after considering public consultation, economic challenges, declining household income, declining investments, high unemployment, low industrial production and load-shedding.
The increase will come into effect from April 1 for Eskom direct customers, with municipalities to determine the date for their customers.
At the ANC’s recent 55th national conference, the party discussed Eskom being placed within the energy ministry, a movedslammed by some opposition parties.
The move would give power to Mantashe, who has been critical of Eskom in the past.
LISTEN | Eskom unburdening its debt to citizens: experts
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READ MORE:
‘As long as the ANC is in power we will remain in the dark’: Parties slam Eskom’s potential move
‘SA is desperate for a sign of an end to the crisis’: Steenhuisen asks to meet Ramaphosa over load-shedding
‘Dangerous’ if ANC, energy minister choose Eskom boss
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