Legislators� frustrations mount on electricity crisis

Each year, the Ministry appears before the Public Accounts Committee and each year, faces difficulties explaining why the same issues keep cropping up without significant progress. The Ministry’s task this year was made more difficult as the accounting officer, permanent secretary, Kgomotso Abi, made his presentation at the height of the winter load shedding programme.

Thus far this winter, national power demand has peaked at 560MW with a deficit of 125MW. Annual peaks are expected to reach 620MW sometime next month and imports from the region can be ruled out due to shortfalls among neighbouring states.