LETTER: Use of diesel is an ANC vote-preserving measure

A recent survey of taxpayers conducted by BrandMapp shows that 92% of respondents regard corruption and criminality as the cause of the inefficiencies at Eskom. Both remain unaddressed.

Eskom is a site of cadre deployment by the ANC-led government. Persons loyal to the national democratic revolution are appointed, irrespective of their suitability for the task of making Eskom work. It is unlikely that the current government has either the will or the skill to address the ever-increasing incidence of interruptions in electrical power supply, notwithstanding the appointment of a temporary minister of electricity.

With national and provincial elections looming in 2024 and the ANC at an all-time low in the polling, taxpayers should expect the government to resort to the purchase of expensive diesel fuel for generators that are pressed into service whenever the capacity of the grid fails to meet demand. This is a hugely expensive workaround solution to the electricity delivery problems caused by crime and corruption within and around Eskom.

The quantity of diesel required is enormous, and it is not sustainable to keep using diesel other than as a short-term measure in genuine emergency situations. The country could be bankrupted by overuse of diesel in the generation of electricity. Keeping the lights on in this way to win or retain popular support is not good governance.

Voters should not be fooled into thinking the problem is one of the past if the use of diesel is resorted to as a vote-preserving rather than a sustainable power-generating measure. The cure lies in addressing the crime and corruption at Eskom. The political will to do so is lacking.

Paul Hoffman, SC
Director, Accountability Now

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