Eskom’s new board under the whip

With equipment being sabotaged, failing plant equipment and poor generating capacity, Eskom’s recently appointed board is calling on Minister Pravin Gordhan’s department of public enterprises to accept that load-shedding will continue for the next 18 months. 

Over the past nine months, South Africa has experienced daily curbs on electricity supply that has exacerbated the slow economic growth in the country.

The board — led by chairperson Mpho Makwana, who was appointed last month — was mandated to achieve a 75% energy availability factor (EAF) for the power utility to end load-shedding, which a source close to the board says is a near impossible target at this juncture. The availability currently is 59%.