South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has canceled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, amid threats of a “national shutdown” to protest electricity price hikes amid widespread blackouts.
Eskom, the national electricity company, has been unable to meet the country’s power needs for several years, thanks to inadequate investment, aggressive affirmative action, ruling-party corruption, and sabotage.
To prevent a total collapse of the power grid, Eskom has implemented periodic “load shedding” plans of varying severity, which involve controlled blackouts. The country is currently mired in “Stage 6,” meaning that consumers must endure period of eight to twelve hours without electricity per day. Only those homes and businesses that can afford their own generators — usually run by diesel fuel — can keep their lights on.
Despite failing to provide steady services, Eskom has implemented a nationwide rate increase of 18.65% for 2023 and 12.74% for 2024. That has led to widespread outrage from consumers and the political opposition.
As the Daily Maverick reports, many are now calling for a general strike, or “national shutdown,” in protest:
President Cyril Ramaphosa, scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this week, has cancelled his trip to attend to the power crisis, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya tweeted on Sunday evening.
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The nationwide shutdown has been endorsed by members of the public, civil society organisations and political parties across various social media platforms, with many planning to either march to the Union Buildings or Eskom’s Megawatt Park offices in Johannesburg.
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In response to the Eskom tariff hikes and ongoing rolling blackouts, the official opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a petition advocating cheaper and more reliable electricity which 70,790 supporters have already signed.
Other opposition parties, from right and left, have also expressed their frustration with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), led by Ramaphosa, a union organizer-turned-business mogul who came to office with great promise but who is seen by many South Africans as a failure.
The country’s next general election is due to be held in 2024, and there is a possibility that the opposition may unite to oust the ANC from power.
The World Economic Forum, founded by Klaus Schwab, brings the world’s business and governing elite together to discuss economic and social policy. It also hosts regional meetings, including in South Africa.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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