Moment in Energy History-Part 2 South Africa has chosen to liberalise its electricity sector at the precise historical moment that the global energy order is being structurally rewritten—not by governments, not by regulators, but by the world’s most capitalised private corporations quietly building their own power stations and walking away from the grid entirely. The Electricity Regulation Amendment Act (ERAA) of 2024 is not merely a policy error of local dimension; it is a category mistake of global consequence, timed…

The South African state is currently engaged in a high-stakes gamble with the nation’s industrial backbone. Under the banner of “modernisation” and “liberalisation,” the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act (ERAA) is being touted as the panacea for the rolling blackouts which first appeared in 2008. In his 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa insisted that these reforms—specifically the unbundling of Eskom and the creation of an independent Transmission System Operator (TSO)—will proceed at all costs. In his budget…

In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where the hum of factories once promised progress and prosperity, silence now reigns. On August 16, 2025, Goodyear announced the closure of its tyre manufacturing plant in Gqeberha, condemning over 900 workers to unemployment in a province already staggering under a 49% jobless rate. This is no isolated tragedy; it is a symptom of a far deeper malaise—the deliberate de-industrialisation of our nation. As a fighter for economic justice and a member…

Australian mining group South32, owner of Mozambique’s largest industrial operation, Mozal, will cease production in March 2026 when its current electricity supply contract ends, citing a lack of guarantees for continued power. The company said, in a statement to the market, talks with the Mozambican government, Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) and South Africa’s Eskom have failed to secure “sufficient and affordable” electricity beyond that date. As a result, it will halt pot relining, cut contractors from this month and…

The Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa (Tapsosa), which represents over 2,000 black-owned security firms, has accused Eskom of systematically targeting, sidelining, and financially crippling its member companies. It alleged a coordinated “purge” involving senior Eskom executives, with R1.3 billion in unpaid invoices now at the centre of the standoff. In a detailed letter sent to Eskom Group CEO Dan Marokane, Tapsosa requested an urgent meeting with him and senior executives to discuss what it calls “a sustained…

Long snaking queues in the baking sun formed around Eskom offices and service centres in many black working-class areas. Many people arrived at the offices the previous night sleeping over to avoid the stampede, including the elderly, frail and sick. A man died in Orlando Community Hall. He was 59-year-old Joseph Fikile Busakwe, he was number 486 in the queue. Like all the other people standing in line, he had gone in a panic to make sure that his electricity…

  Several energy companies are recruiting former Eskom executives allegedly to gain an unfair competitive edge, benefit from insider trading, and position themselves for billions of tenders at the power utility.  According to insiders and industry sources, the growing trend raises questions about an alleged revolving door phenomenon involving former Eskom bosses, the power utility’s failure to enforce the government’s restraint of trade policy, and threatens the credibility of the state-owned company’s procurement processes.  Former Eskom Group CEO Brian Dames,…

Businesswoman Nothemba Mlonzi, the CEO of fuel supply company Econ Oil, has rejected Eskom boss Andre De Ruyter’s claims that her firm overcharged the power utility to the tune of billions of rands.   Maintaining that De Ruyter had weaponised his alleged anti-corruption crackdown at Eskom, Mlonzi has accused him of misrepresenting facts and peddling “falsehoods” about her company.  Econ Oil was contracted to supply fuel to Eskom between 2012 and 2017. Mlonzi also labelled De Ruyter’s claims as defamatory, adding her…

A South African energy expert has warned that the full powers signed over to the Minister of Electricity in the Presidency, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, will come at a high price for the end users of electrical energy. The warning comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa just concluded the signing of a proclamation that transfers “certain powers and functions” to Ramokgopa in line with the Electricity Regulation Act. In the past few months, Ramokgopa had become a laughing stock because he was…

President of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (ARETA) Carl “Mpangazitha” Niehaus has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of selling South Africa’s economy to white people, and forgetting the pain that the majority of the country went through. Niehaus was speaking at the launch of his party’s Ward 46 branch in Jabulani, Soweto, on Sunday.  The former ANC spokesperson formed ARETA in February this year after quitting the liberation movement in the midst of several misconduct charges that were levelled against…