‘Blackouts are killing local business’ – NOCCI
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Load shedding implemented by the country’s financially strained power utility, Eskom, is killing local business one outage at a time. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Northern Cape Chamber of Commerce (NOCCI), Sharon Steyn, is the latest member of small business in the country to share this sentiment.
Steyn tells the OFM Business Hour, that unless local businesses have backup generators, they often are forced to close up shop and send employees home, losing a day’s worth of work and revenue. She says it’s unfair to assume that businesses must finance and source backup power because of Eskom’s failure to service the country even though citizens and entrepreneurs pay their rates and taxes. She says the end is nigh for Eskom and it is a matter of time before it is privatised.
Following some backlash, and calls for Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and the board to step down from their roles owing to the implemented load shedding, Eskom’s management held a virtual press conference on Tuesday afternoon in an effort to quell tensions. They have announced that from Wednesday 5:00, the country moves to level 3 of load shedding till Friday, whereupon we move to level 2. It is expected blackouts will be phased out at the weekend.
Steyn tells the OFM Business Hour, that unless local businesses have backup generators, they often are forced to close up shop and send employees home, losing a day’s worth of work and revenue. She says it’s unfair to assume that businesses must finance and source backup power because of Eskom’s failure to service the country even though citizens and entrepreneurs pay their rates and taxes. She says the end is nigh for Eskom and it is a matter of time before it is privatised.
Following some backlash, and calls for Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and the board to step down from their roles owing to the implemented load shedding, Eskom’s management held a virtual press conference on Tuesday afternoon in an effort to quell tensions. They have announced that from Wednesday 5:00, the country moves to level 3 of load shedding till Friday, whereupon we move to level 2. It is expected blackouts will be phased out at the weekend.
