Supplementary generation programmes required to deal with rolling blackouts: Mantashe

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says supplementary generation programmes are required to deal with persistent rolling blackouts that have hit the country yet again.

South Africa is facing rolling blackouts from 8am until 10pm this weekend.

Mantashe was speaking on the sidelines of the Presidential Imbizo at Carolina in Mpumalanga on Friday.

The minister claims the growing economy and population also contribute to high electricity demand.

He says close to 90% of people have access to electricity, compared to 1994 when only 34% had electricity.

“Eskom has connected a capacity of 45 000 megawatts, it hardly works at 30 000 megawatts and that gap is quite important. When they talk of 6 000 megawatts shortage, I always wonder if there is a 15 000 gap between connected capacity and operational capacity, there is a need for supplementary to add volume into the grid,” says Mantashe.

@DMRE_ZA Minister @GwedeMantashe1 responds #PresidentialImbizo #LeaveNoOneBehind pic.twitter.com/6gv3i0jLIn

— Presidency | South Africa (@PresidencyZA) May 20, 2022

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa says he doesn’t believe that Eskom will ever find it necessary to go to Stage 8 blackouts. He was speaking on the sidelines of Friday’s Presidential Imbizo in Carolina.

President Ramaphosa confident of Eskom’s ability to keep the lights on: