South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently dismissed claims made by the opposition that the pause in electricity cuts ahead of the upcoming election on May 29 was politically motivated. The country has experienced a significant improvement in power supply, with no load-shedding for 48 days, the longest period in over two years. This has sparked controversy, with some accusing the government of using the improvement to boost voter satisfaction.
Despite the accusations, Ramaphosa attributes the improvement to a focused maintenance plan by Eskom, new generation capacity from renewable energy projects, and the increased use of rooftop solar panels. The upcoming election poses a challenge for the African National Congress, with polls suggesting a potential loss of parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid.
However, the Democratic Alliance contends that the ANC has interfered in Eskom’s operations to maintain power supply, with allegations of excessive diesel usage. Former CEO Andre de Ruyter claimed that Eskom was burning through diesel at a high rate to keep the lights on. Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa refuted these claims, stating that the pause in load-shedding was not due to increased diesel usage.