Energy expert says the fact that two mining towns in the Northern Cape do not experience rolling blackouts further exposes Eskom’s dysfunctionality.
While it has become a norm for the country to experience blackouts daily, the Namaqualand towns of Kleinzee and Koingnaas, have never experienced rolling blackouts since its inception 15 years ago.
According to the power utility, if the electricity supply to the towns is cut, South Africa will be plunged into total darkness.
Despite previously being financially viable to keep lights on for the residents of Kleinzee and Koingnaas, the energy experts believe failure by Eskom to cut the supply of electricity to the two areas will cost the power utility millions of rands.
The reasons for this date back to seven decades ago, when De Beers was a major diamond producer in Namaqualand and demanded a high electricity supply.
An energy expert Tshepo Kgadima says the move by Eskom is not sustainable. “We see here a situation whereby, in order to protect the grid of the country these two towns continue to enjoy electricity, but where there is no demand. In the two towns, in terms of the thousands or so residents that lie there, their electricity demand is diminished. So it means that Eskom is losing money by supplying electricity to these two towns in order to maintain the grid stability and expensive solution, so it tells us more of dysfunctional, inept and incompetent Eskom.”
Eskom has confirmed that if Koingnaas and Kleinzee are rolling blackouts, their substation can trip critical lines — which can lead to instability on the national grid, that can plunge the whole country into darkness. This will lead to the economy of the country plunging further.
Meanwhile, despite the residents of Kleinzee and Koingnaas saying they are happy not to be experiencing rolling blackouts, they say they sympathise with many people in the country.
“I got a bakery here so the business. I have to bake break bread so it feels good not to have rolling blackouts because we are on the high voltage line previous it was De Bees so we are on the grid. high voltage grid.”
“It feels good to be able to have power for your fridges and people will definitely be jealous. I feel for them. Stage 8 and 9 load shedding is not a joke.”
Kleinzee lies about 110 kilometres west of Springbok in the Namaqualand region. The reason behind the towns’ exemption from load-shedding is that 70 years ago, a diamond mining company De Beers, due to its operations had a high demand for electricity.
The towns were connected to a high-voltage grid back then. The mining operations have now ceased. But the two towns still enjoy the benefits of being connected to the high voltage.
