Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
medupilatest news & developments
Energy source: Moments from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s working visit to Kusile Power Station in the Nkangala District Municipality, Mpumalanga. Photo: Presidency
BONGANI MOTSA

Eskom still backbone of economic recovery 

Reliable and affordable energy, with predictable tariffs, is indispensable. Even so, it is significant that Eskom’s leadership recognises the central role it plays: without this…

  • Vuslat Bayoglu
5 min read
The N2 Wild Coast Toll Highway. Photo: Thembela Ntongana/GroundUp
AMADIBA

SANRAL must stop sabotaging engagement with the people of Amadiba

The government must require SANRAL to meet communities directly, conduct a genuine mid-term review, assess the inland route honestly and prioritise local road repair as the real…

  • Brian Ashley
3 min read
Energy minister Kgosiento Ramokgopa said the issue would be resolved by the end of the week. Photo: GCIS
ARTICLE

Multiple plant failures prompted Stage 6 load-shedding

Energy minister Kgosiento Ramokgopa said the issue would be resolved by the end of the week

  • Emsie Ferreira
4 min read
Developing countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change are angry about a new text released at COP29 on Friday, which says developed countries must pay $250 billion a year until 2035 for climate action.(Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CALIB CASSIM

SA’s R210 billion grid dilemma hits pause on load-shedding fix

Renewable energy could close the gap between demand and supply, ending load-shedding. But out-of-pocket Eskom must find money to upgrade its transmission infrastructure first

  • Sarah Smit
  • Mandisa Makgakga
9 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to have forgotten the ANC’s decision on the ICC taken at Nasrec.(Photo Delwyn Verasamy, M&G)
ANDRE DE RUTYER

Ramaphosa is wrong on the law, load-shedding litigants say

Only the government — not Eskom or municipalities — can address load-shedding by building more capacity and ensuring sufficient supply, the parties said

  • Emsie Ferreira
7 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP
ANC

Reshuffle will come after budget speech, Ramaphosa tells ANC national working committee

The president tells party leaders that the new electricity minister will also be a project manager for Medupi and Kusile power stations

  • Lizeka Tandwa
4 min read
Three party leaders who previously spoke to M&G said they expected Ramaphosa to announce replacements for Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula
ALEC ERWIN

It’s clear that state-owned entities can’t be turned around by politics

With Eskom and most other entities in states of disrepair, the relevance of the department of public enterprises is questioned

  • Sarah Smit
9 min read
Eskom has started vetting contractors and employees after multiple complaints of sabotage at its power plants while the search for a new chief executive continues.
ANDRE DE RUYTER

How Eskom is tackling sabotage at its power stations

Employees, including senior staff members and contractors, have stolen or deliberately broken equipment, which has contributed to load-shedding

  • Mandisa Makgakga
6 min read
Urgent action is required to address the constraints to South Africa’s power system and to reduce the usage of the diesel-fired turbines, the council said.
ANDRE DE RUYTER

Finding solutions to South Africa’s power problem without involving the government

Solar alternatives are the quickest alternative and with banks on board, people, institutions and businesses can ensure we are no longer left in the dark

  • Philip Machanick
5 min read
Tutuka Powerstation Standerton – Photos: Delwyn Verasamy
DUVHA

Eskom’s town of Thuthukani in decay

The Mail & Guardian spent time with the residents of Thuthukani, and heard of how a once ‘beautiful’ town had degenerated.

  • Khaya Koko
5 min read
With two units at Koeberg nuclear power station likely to be out of commission at the same time, Eskom will struggle to keep the lights on, said Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
ANDRE DE RUYTER

Load-shedding continues overnight; flooding adds to Eskom’s woes

Eskom chief executive Andre de Ruyter said the forecast for winter blackouts was not dire, but with half of Koeberg remaining offline, nothing was certain

  • Emsie Ferreira
4 min read
Eskom told the Mail & Guardian it had only received a R9 billion World Bank loan to decommission its coal-fired Komati power station. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ENOCH GONDONGWANA

Eskom enforces stage-two rolling blackouts, citing tripped unit

The state-owned utility’s R392-billion debt has hampered its ability to maintain some of its coal-fired power stations, resulting in 14 years of load-shedding

  • Stella Mapenzauswa
1 min read
Fossil fuels: Exxaro’s coal exports to Europe have been declining, but have received a boost owing to the invasion of Ukraine. (Paul Botes)
COAL

Failing Transnet railway line threatens Exxaro’s coal exports

Coal orders from Europe have increased in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but dysfunctional local infrastructure remains a challenge

  • Marcia Zali
5 min read
ARNOT

Eskom reintroduces stage two load-shedding after Medupi unit three breaks down

Load-shedding will be in place from 5pm on Monday to 5am on Wednesday

  • Eunice Masson
2 min read
Spiralling: Electricity tariffs have risen by more than 1 100% since 2007. In addition to consumption costs, there are layered costs for generation, theft and non-payment, among others. Photo: Madelene Cronje
ANDRE DE RUYTER

Eskom says no compromise on maintenance as black-outs roll

Some 4 435MW of power is out on planned maintenance, and another 8 093MW has been lost because of breakdowns to units at various power stations

  • Tunicia Phillips
3 min read
Reliable power is essential for economic growth in key sectors such as manufacturing, where growth is vital for absorbing labour and addressing high unemployment levels. (Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images)
COMMODITY SUPER CYCLE

Reshuffling the deck chairs at Eskom won’t solve load-shedding

Eskom has had 11 chief executives and countless board changes in 10 years, and its condition remains just as critical. Will another reshuffle make a difference?

  • Ron Derby
5 min read
KwaZulu-Natal residents who are unemployed, financially struggling and hungry have lambasted Eskom’s proposed 36.1% tariff hike. (Dean Hutton/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
ANDRE DE RUYTER

Eskom to take ‘extraordinary measures’ to avoid load-shedding for elections

Stage four load-shedding rolled out to ensure the polls on Monday 1 November are energy secure

  • Tunicia Phillips
5 min read
Load-shedding has been a disruptor for households and businesses across South Africa. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ARNOT

Eskom resorts to stage four load-shedding

Stage-four outages will continue until Friday after the loss of two units during the night, and three in total at Medupi, Kusile and Matla power plants tripping

  • Emsie Ferreira
2 min read
The Medupi (above) and Kusile boilers are substandard, because the ruling party hijacking their manufacturing process for their own profit. (Madelene Cronjé/M&G)
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Medupi fails two tests already

The new plant can’t meet World Bank’s loan conditions or sulphur emissions limits

  • Tunicia Phillips
7 min read
Mail & Gaurdian
BARBARA CREECY

Editorial: Crocodile tears from the coalface

Pumping limited resources into a project that is predominantly meant to extend dirty coal energy in South Africa is not what local communities and the climate needs.

  • Editorial
2 min read