Embattled power utility Eskom’s declaration of stage 6 load shedding on Monday evening riled South Africans, who bemoaned the state of deterioration that the energy supplier was in, with some claiming things had never been as bad under former President Jacob Zuma.
Many took to Twitter to vent their anger at the blackouts currently being experienced throughout the country with some 30 000 tweets mentioning Zuma’s name in light of the current crisis.
On a visit to Eskom in May 2016, Zuma said that there would never be load shedding again in South Africa.
At the time he said that the presentations from Eskom executives had indicated that there would even be surplus energy “in the very near future”.
“I’m as excited as anything as I leave Eskom now because energy is very important to the life of people,” Zuma said at the time while adding that he was convinced that Eskom was a company that knew what it was doing.
However, contrary to his sentiments, load shedding has not been dealt away with and is instead a reality that South Africans have faced numerous times since.
Hip hop superstar AKA (real name Kiernan Forbes) took to his Twitter account, telling his 4.1 million followers: “So y’all kicked Zuma out and now we at Stage 6. Made your bed, sleep in it.”
So y’all kicked Zuma out and now we at Stage 6. Made your bed, sleep in it.
— AKA (@akaworldwide) December 9, 2019
Sphithiphithi Evaluator (@_AfricanSoil) said:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/Loadshedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Loadshedding
They sat with Pres Zuma, told him what were the challenges and how it was fixed and that there will never be loadshedding
They we all removed and today we back to this crisis because those now at the helm are CLUELESS pic.twitter.com/W0BECZmeZP
— Sphithiphithi Evaluator (@_AfricanSoil)
Zanele Lwana (@ZaneleLwana) wrote:
Ntate Brian Molefe and Matshela Koko with the rest of their team with Dr Ngubane, under the leadership of President Zuma ENDED load shedding. Cyril & Pravin brought it back. We are such an ungrateful people. We insult those who cared to solve our problems we idolise cowards!!
— ZaneleLwana (@ZaneleLwana) December 9, 2019
Yazi South Africa 🇿🇦 during zuma never experienced load shading in December 🙄🙄 makuyi lo thuma mina wenu yeeerrrrrrrr pic.twitter.com/UwXAEEU7tY
— Kèlow Christopher 💭 (@kelow_C) December 10, 2019
Others said that had the stage 6 load shedding been implemented during Zuma’s tenure there would have been a massive uproar and public outcry.
Zero Mobile (@zmobilefashion):
Just imagine if this STAGE 6 LOAD SHEDDING was happening and Zuma was a president? I can bet EFF would have called a EMERGENCY PRESS BRIEFING in Braamfontein,and Justice Malala would be in ENCA almost every hour.COSATU & SACP would issuing a statement of what to be done.
— Zero Mobile (@zmobilefashion) December 10, 2019
Despite many claiming that things had never deteriorated to this stage under Zuma’s leadership others were critical of the former head of state saying that Eskom was where it was now due to lack of proper governance during his presidency.
Chief Erican (@EricanSA) said:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/loadshedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#loadsheddingis because #eskom under Zuma, Brian Molefe and Koko signed long term contracts for the supply of low quality coals. So now those low quality coals easily get wet and they are damaging plants. #EskomBlackouts #Stage6Loadshedding
— Chief Erican (@EricanSA)
Some Twitter users said that the problems plaguing Eskom should not be put squarely at the feet of a single individual.
Serame Bohale (@SerameBohale) wrote:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/Loadshedding?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Loadsheddingis a national crisis, some will blame Mandela, then Mbeki then Zuma and now Ramaphosa. Problem ke ANC government, I mean all of them maan together with Eskom pic.twitter.com/OXoRkNP5OI
— Serame Bohale (@SerameBohale)