On Monday, Bloomberg News reported that the state-owned utility would stop guaranteeing power exports to Namibia from August, citing Mines and Energy Minister Erkki Nghimtina. "From August 2007 onwards Eskom can suspend power supplies to Namibia, should their internal electricity demand exceed supply," Bloomberg quoted Nghimtina as saying. However, Zulu said that it would not stop guaranteeing exports to the country.
"Eskom has and shall continue to honour all agreements with our export counterparts," he affirmed. "Eskom is not stopping guaranteeing power exports to any country." Exports currently comprise some two percent of Eskom's total capacity.Zulu said that Eskom's "firm" power contracts were not interruptible, while "nonfirm" power contracts could be reduced or curtailed with appropriate notice periods. Most contracts allowed Eskom "some measure of discretion in advance", which Zulu stated was a day ahead or, in some instances, longer, on its ability to provide the requested supply.
