More parties continue to weigh in on the rolling blackouts and are urging the government to crack the whip on Eskom.
The Freedom Front Plus is the latest party to call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take full responsibility for what is happening at the power utility as he once led a team when he was deputy president.
Eskom has been criticised by the DA, EFF, IFP and other parties after it implemented the latest round of load shedding on the eve of the elections.
However, Eskom promised this week that there would not be load shedding when the country heads to the polls on Monday.
Yesterday the ANC called on the power utility to get its house in order.
The party said it was concerned that the latest round of load shedding could be the result of deliberate actions for political ends by some linked to the power utility.
This was after Eskom announced stage 4 load shedding yesterday. But later Eskom said the country would move to stage 3 today.
The governing party also highlighted concerns that the latest load shedding had kicked off on the first day of the matric exams.
“The latest bout of load shedding is despite a commitment made by the CEO of the utility (Andre de Ruyter) to contain load shedding and ease disruptions to power supply in mid-October.
“The ANC is further concerned that the announcement made by Eskom coincides with the first day of final examinations of thousands of matriculants across the country who must have the opportunity to study and write their exams uninterrupted by power outages,” said ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe.
He alluded to the advanced load shedding stage being politically motivated ahead of the local government elections. In its manifesto, the ANC ensured safe and reliable electricity supply to communities.
“To this extent, the ANC demands unequivocal answers on the current state of power supply. The mixed messages and lack of public transparency and accountability witnessed are a source of grave concern and suspicion. It is also a direct affront to the ANC’s commitment in our manifesto to ensure safe and reliable electricity supply to our communities,” Mabe said.
The party has called for decisive leadership from Eskom.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said Ramaphosa must accept full responsibility for what was happening at Eskom as he was appointed as the chairperson of a special Eskom committee in 2014, tasked with turning things around and preventing the possibility of future load shedding.
“Kusile and Medupi were built with the aim of eliminating future power shortages, but these two power stations’ long-term efficiency (were) undermined by irregularities right from the start,” he said.
Groenewald added: “President Ramaphosa must therefore take full responsibility. In the past, he failed to execute a sustainable turnaround plan and now, as president, he is failing to ensure that the problems at Eskom are addressed and resolved.”
Political Bureau