POLL | Do you believe the generators donated by China will alleviate load-shedding?

There are many reasons government was criticised instead of praised after receiving 450 gasoline generators from China.

Many South Africans feel hopeless about load-shedding ending because government often speaks about scheduled blackouts ending and provides timelines, but when crunch time comes, the state always comes up with excuses for the power cuts continuing.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula came under fire last month when he backtracked on earlier remarks about load-shedding ending this month.

Mbalula was adamant load-shedding would be a thing of the past by December.

The country was plunged into stage 6 last week, with Eskom citing “a shortage of generating capacity and emergency reserves”.

Minister of electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on Thursday said load-shedding would be implemented this festive season but at lower stages. The minister made the remarks during his visit to Medupi power station.

Though South Africans are eager to see a permanent end to load-shedding, government receiving generators from China has been met with scepticism, with Build One South Africa cautioning the state to stop relying on “charity from China to fix its mess”. 

In August the Chinese government donated R170m in emergency power equipment and made available a grant of about R500m as development assistance to alleviate South Africa's energy crisis.

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