How to chase investors away? Just ask the ANC.

This week has been a nightmare as some areas are being hit harder than others with power outages. To top it off the Government controlled company (ESKOM) that is in charge of the electricity supply saw the announcement of strikes today. Great that is all we need,more costs for services that are not worthy of the prices we are forced to pay for now.

This week alone the factory I am involved with in Durban has been hit every day between 10 am and 2 pm. That is 4 hours of production that needs to be caught up after hours increasing the price of all the goods manufactured.

We have looked at solar for the factory,but the machines draw too much power and as technology moves forward another option may become viable. We have decided to increase production now and get ahead where possible so this doesn't impact the business in the future.

Apparently the issue of no power is the rainy season and wet coal doesn't produce as much power as dry coal. I don't believe this as how do countries in the rest of the world cope with more rain than what this country receives. There is something else going on and not much is being leaked for the real reason for this no supply period.

What we do know is that ESKOM is lying to the public. With a little digging 2 power stations are running at 60 percent and 20 percent respectively.It looks like the usual suspects of mismanagement,corruption, poor procurement of coal which is linked to corruption and lack of funds. There are 12 units mothballed as there is no funds to refurbish them. This is what happens when people are employed in fields they have no expertise and are there to protect whoever is plundering what is left of the finances.

My brother is on holiday in Cape Town now for a few weeks and he had no idea about the schedules for load shedding. He is visiting after 15 years and has noticed the changes and how everything has dropped in standards. When you are living here you know the problems and learn to live with them and only realize how bad they really are when someone visits and starts commenting on things you just accept.

The joke after the 1994 elections when a vast majority left for new horizons was the last one out turn the light off. How ironic that 25 years after the ANC took power there is no power and no lights, just some chaos and no money.

Image source lowvelder.co.za