Durban - Trade union Uasa said that with the possibility of stage 8 load shedding and persistent stage 6 load shedding , members of the public are in for a difficult winter.
Uasa spokesperson Abigail Moyo said that as temperatures drop, power demand will increase, and misery will kick in for those who cannot afford power-generating alternatives.
“Eskom’s inability to maintain power plants and find efficient ways to produce more electricity reliably has resulted in new Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa warning that Eskom faces a shortfall of 8 000 megawatts to 10 000MW this winter, which equates to stage 8 power cuts.”
Moyo added that industries, businesses and workers alike crumble due to the blackouts and the high cost of alternative energy generation.
“Learners whose parents cannot afford alternatives are forced to study by candlelight. The more prolonged power outages have also started to affect the water supply in some areas. South Africans are increasingly suffering from emotional well-being issues due to the stress caused.”
She said there needs to be transparency from the government about the power crisis.
“Without an efficient and sustainable power supply, industrialisation and economic production will suffer. Already, energy experts predict that the food distribution chain will show signs of failure soon. We cannot afford any more business closures and retrenchments with our already too-high unemployment rate.”
Moyo said that the looming stage 8 outages will threaten jobs and income.
“Livelihoods are at stake. If we don't act decisively, we may not recover any time soon.”