The ongoing electricity crisis has naturally dominated the news cycle with breaking news from dawn till dusk as South Africans try to deal with crippling load shedding schedules that make it difficult to live and work. But does the government have the resolve to solve the deep-rooted problems at Eskom and does President Cyril Ramaphosa have the energy for the fight?
TOM EATON: Ramaphosa is just not energised enough to power SA with his shock
Eaton writes there was a clamour for Ramaphosa to return to South Africa over the weekend as load shedding ramped up to stage 6 with many commentators arguing the president was needed to solve the energy crisis at home rather than attend Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. But what difference does it make having Ramaphosa in Pretoria or London writes Eaton, arguing that no matter where the president is based, he is equally powerless to solve the power crisis (Times LIVE)
Powerless, Clueless, Hopeless: ANC’s complete & sustained failure to deliver electricity will be punished at the polls
Political commentator Stephen Grootes details the long list of ANC politicians who have been tasked with solving the problems at Eskom and the energy crisis in general but have failed to deliver on the promises. The central problem of the Eskom crisis is the rhetoric used by Ramaphosa and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter over the years. Both men have repeatedly made promises that the power utility would be fixed and load shedding a thing of the past, but both have failed to uphold those promises. (Daily Maverick)
Qaanitah Hunter | When Ramaphosa lands back in SA, will he finally be the president we need?
Hunter writes that the president likes to sound and look presidential, but he offers little in the way of actionable plans to solve the energy crisis in the short-term versus the long-term turnaround strategy he announced in July. Ramaphosa will have to make tough calls and axe someone for failing to deal with the energy crisis and his fence-sitting over De Ruyter and energy minister Gwede Mantashe must come to an end. (News24)
