EDITORIAL | Whether it’s load-shedding, load reduction or rotation, impact on those affected is the same

It’s time that the upgrading of infrastructure is put high on the agenda

Power utility Eskom made sure that everyone knew it achieved a 100-day milestone without implementing load-shedding last week.

This surely was meant to show that interventions that were led by electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in collaboration with Eskom leadership and the private sector were beginning to yield positive results.

Ramokgopa's new department of energy and electricity also issued a media statement on the 100-day no-load-shedding milestone.

Business also indicated through Business Unity South Africa its enhanced confidence as energy generation begins to stabilise and Eskom is on the right track as it adheres to maintenance schedules.

Normally winter brings about challenges. A cold snap can coincide with the tripping of power generation plants and load-shedding becomes inevitable.

Last year alone, Eskom implemented power cuts on more than 300 days, recording its worst load-shedding year yet. The utility has now seemingly turned the corner as it managed to keep the lights on this winter despite the country having experienced several cold fronts.

As the 100-day milestone was covered across many news platforms, for residents of Rabie Ridge in Midrand, Yeoville and many parts of Soweto, this was nothing worth celebrating as they go for days without electricity due to Johannesburg's City Power implementing load-reduction.

On the day Ramokgopa and Eskom were marking 100 days without load-shedding, residents of parts of Alexandra were being notified by City Power that they would experience load reduction between 6am and 8am.

Residents of Orlando, Kliptown, Doornkop and Vlakfontein had to plan for an afternoon without power between 4pm and 6.30pm on Friday.

City Power says it is compelled to implement load reduction in high-usage areas where the capacity of installed electricity infrastructure is not able to distribute the load due to excessive strain on substations.

Load rotation takes place when there has been a transformer failure at substations or when demand exceeds supply, leading to systems tripping.

City Power has to restart the system for the affected areas gradually to ensure the trip doesn't happen again, leaving some residents without power before fully restoring the system.

Many residents in townships and other areas have had to build backyard rooms or apartments to rent out to those coming to the cities for better opportunities.

The electricity infrastructure has not been upgraded to match the population growth and migration to urban centres which have led to usage often exceeding capacity.

Rental income from backyard rooms helps thousands of families put food on the table and has to be encouraged.

However, government and Eskom need to ensure the electricity distribution infrastructure is upgraded so that the 100 days of no load-shedding means the same to all of us.

This doesn't even touch on the millions of South Africans who often go for days or weeks without power because they have to choose between buying food or electricity — experiencing “energy poverty”.

Though it's encouraging that energy distribution is one of the energy and electricity minister's key priorities, this should have been prioritised years ago when it became clear that people were migrating to urban centres such as Johannesburg.

Another worrying concern is that an official working in the security department of City Power was arrested on suspicion of theft.

The employee, aged 41, allegedly stole copper pipes from scrap metal dealers under the guise of returning them to City Power premises.

A day later, City Power arrested more employees and a contractor for cable theft and vandalism, after having arrested nine contracted guards.

This is a worrying trend that those tasked with protecting and looking after this vital energy infrastructure might be criminals, but it's encouraging that they will face the wrath of the law. 

It serves little purpose for the country to celebrate a steady supply of energy while millions don't have the same experience due to situations well beyond their control.

It's time that the upgrading of infrastructure is put high on the agenda to ensure that all South Africans, irrespective of class or where they are situated, are able to equally reap the benefits.