US’s warning on load-shedding is odd, Naledi Pandor says

International relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor has described the latest security alert issued by the US embassy on load-shedding as “odd”.

“I found it rather surprising and odd. I don’t recall such alerts when California had similar blackouts and outages. I found it a rather odd warning, but there have been many of these surprise warnings and none of what is warned about has come to fruition,” said Pandor.

She was speaking on the sidelines of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s state visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday. She was responding to reports the US embassy issued a security alert “over the ongoing energy crisis, load-shedding and controlled energy outages”.

In a statement released on the embassy’s website, the US said: “The government of SA has declared a ‘state of disaster’ in response to ongoing power shortages. The country’s energy crisis includes sustained load-shedding (controlled rolling blackouts) at varying intervals and is expected to extend beyond 2023. Load-shedding results in localised power outages of up to six hours or more per day throughout the country.”

The embassy said: “These planned electricity outages negatively affect private residences, businesses, municipal lighting, traffic lights and hotels. Rolling blackouts can also impact water availability and safety, internet connectivity, cellphone network coverage, fuel pumps (and therefore fuel availability), residential security features  and the food supply.

“Additionally, power outages have the potential to increase crime; for example, traffic jams when lights are out provide opportunities for smash-and-grab crime, and residences can be targeted when lights are out and security systems are not functioning.”

The embassy added: “Further, ongoing conditions have led to an increase in protests and demonstrations, and in some cases civil unrest, throughout the country.”

It reminded its citizens travelling to, or living in SA, to exercise “increased caution due to crime and civil unrest” and to prepare in advance for power outages.

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