Mabuza ‘sorry’ for rolling blackouts
Deputy President David Mabuza has apologised to businesses and students for the latest bout of load shedding.
South African businesses are losing millions due to the rolling blackouts, which began on Wednesday, while the power cuts have also interrupted the writing of matric exams.
He made the remarks during a question- and-answer session in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Mabuza told MPs the rolling blackouts are a result of the power-generating capacity, which previously stood at 47 000 megawatts, being reduced to around 35 000 megawatts.
He said the loss of generating power is most due to the country’s ageing fleet power stations.
"For instance, the Hendrina power station, out of six units that should be functioning, only two are working and the rest have reached their lifespan. That accounts for a number of power stations that are now old.”
Mabuza also welcomed the introduction of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which was approved by Cabinet on Wednesday.
He believes, given the current struggles at Eskom, there is a need to open up space for independent power producers to make up for the current shortages.