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Rolling blackouts more detrimental to the economy than COVID-19 pandemic: Energy Council SA

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The Energy Council of South Africa says the energy crisis is more detrimental to the country’s economy than the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the Energy Department will take over the responsibility of overseeing Eskom which has been failing to meet the nation’s power demand since 2008.

The power utility is implementing stage four rolling blackouts during the day and Stage 6 in the evenings until further notice. It says it will implement Stage 4 daily between five o’clock in the morning and four o’clock in the afternoon.

The council’s CEO James Mackay says many companies will be forced to further cut jobs as country’s energy situation deteriorates.

“We are rapidly just winding down the economic machinery in terms of industry. Even small, medium enterprises just can’t afford to a billboard. I have seen far too many examples of companies literally saying that if nothing is done to improve the situation in 2023, they are going to have to start cutting jobs. Really, we have to deal with a sense of urgency.”

Full interview with Energy Council of South Africa CEO James Mackay on SAFM:

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