Deputy Speaker, I agree with Wikipedia that identifies three periods of the energy crisis, and I am referring to the financial years: 2007-08, 2014-15, and 2019. We are indeed in an energy crisis. An example is the area around Kriel in Mpumalanga, which is now the world's second biggest sulphur dioxide emissions hotspot. People are dying of lung- related illnesses.
Eskom has gone to court to recover the R69 billion cash bailout it had received and to have the right to raise a further R40 billion by increasing electricity prices by 16%, in order to solve its liquidity crunch over the next three years. The people who are going to suffer are those poor people in our country.
Eskom is in such a deep crisis that South Africa is staring "down a barrel of a downgrade" as Moody puts it.
Acting CEO, Jabu Mabuza, does not know the electricity generation and distribution business.
There is no end in sight to Eskom's financial, managerial and generation of electricity crisis. In 2019, Eskom's power production dropped to 219 Giga watts. It cannot produce more. Eskom has admitted that more than a third of its infrastructure is broken.
Eskom spent over R50 billion on diesel in 10 years. The utility has only 2 000 megawatts of spare capacity. Eskom is in a deep crisis. Talented specialists who know the business very well must be placed in charge. Government must deal with the leadership issue at Eskom. Meanwhile, government must buy all the electricity it can from the IPPs and allow municipalities to do the same.
The people of our country are suffering and unfortunately, ...
Sesotho:
... ntate President, le a palelwa, morena.