Shadow of load shedding looms
Ronelle Ramsamy
'THERE is a very strong possibility that load shedding will resume!'
That is the response from uMhlathuze City Electrical Engineer Dwayne Baker after state-owned power utility Eskom announced this week that South Africans only managed to save up to 7% in electricity demand last month.
Eskom Chief executive Jacob Maroga made the announcement after briefing President Thabo Mbeki and a Presidential special Joint Working Group on the current state of electricity supply in the country.
Aimed at alleviating the country's power crisis, the collective saving remains below the 10% target.
But consumers within the City of uMhlathuze are apparently not taking the call to save energy seriously.
'We are certainly below the mark. Only industry is meeting the 10% demand reduction, but the rest of the consumers within the City of uMlathuze are showing no overall saving,' said Baker.
Suspended
At the beginning of May, the power giant suspended rolling power blackouts because of reduced demand as consumers countrywide heeded the call to save electricity.
Maroga said planned electricity cuts were suspended on the basis of the progress made toward meeting the 10% target and a review of the most effective approach to achieve savings.
Following the meeting of the Joint Energy Working Group, the presidency said in a statement that the country was nearing the 10% target.
'The meeting urged the public to accelerate electricity savings to avert resumption in load shedding, as the current savings, though welcome, are below the 10% target.'
Mbeki is expected to form an advisory council, which he will chair, to ensure the implementation of the National Electricity Response Plan.
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