The inconvenient truth about Eskom

[Hanno Labuschagne]

The inconvenient truth about Eskom

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan recently unveiled the government’s plan to rescue Eskom, which he said will be a long process that has to be undertaken with discipline.

Eskom is crippled by its R450 billion debt, but it is also struggling with low productivity, poor flexibility, no competition, and corruption which is milking the company’s coffers dry.

Gordhan admitted that the impact of state capture at Eskom has been huge and that corruption at the company is systemic.

 

[Budza]

The chickens are coming home to roost.

 

[Bernie]

The chickens are coming home to roost.

...in the dark

 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Still trying to keep the boat afloat?

Reality check: It has long since sunk, you'd need to refloat it .. or say RIP.

 

[Binary_Bark]

There is light at the end of the Eskom tunnel......

It's a candle and someone stole it.

 

[Lupus]

There is a solution, privatise and watch all the useless get fired and it starts becoming profitable. Why is the government holding on to it? I mean it would make sense if it was profitable, but running at a constant loss?
Same as SAA, Post Office, Telkom and any SOE dump them.

 

[Binary_Bark]

There is a solution, privatise and watch all the useless get fired and it starts becoming profitable. Why is the government holding on to it? I mean it would make sense if it was profitable, but running at a constant loss?
Same as SAA, Post Office, Telkom and any SOE dump them.

Where else are they going to steal millions from

 

[Lupus]

Where else are they going to steal millions from

Logic would dictate you make something profitable and you can steal millions more just by skimming off some of the money. But the ANC haven't got the foresight for this, if you're going to be corrupt be smart about it.

 

[Nom Chompsky]

There is a solution, privatise and watch all the useless get fired and it starts becoming profitable. Why is the government holding on to it? I mean it would make sense if it was profitable, but running at a constant loss?
Same as SAA, Post Office, Telkom and any SOE dump them.

Unions won't allow it and Cupcake doesn't have the balls to take them on.

 

[Lupus]

Unions won't allow it and Cupcake doesn't have the balls to take them on.

How the British industry came crashing down in the 70s, unions. Now the difference is there was a certain lady who tried to sort it all out.
Here we need someone of an iron constitution to sort out the unions.

 

[Zoomzoom]

There is a solution, privatise and watch all the useless get fired and it starts becoming profitable. Why is the government holding on to it? I mean it would make sense if it was profitable, but running at a constant loss?
Same as SAA, Post Office, Telkom and any SOE dump them.

because, you idiot, we have a very large number of poor people in this country who NEED subsidized utilities. There is no private company that would do it, and the rest of us would kak en betaal for profit even more than we are now. Privatisation is a bad bad bad bad plan. You think you are being robbed blind now? Give the company to some rich arseholes whose only goal is money money money!

 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

There is light at the end of the Eskom tunnel......

It's a candle and someone stole it.

Erm ...

 

[Jopie Fourie]

As long as they keep focusing on saving Eskom, there will be no hope or any chance of success. The collapse is imminent and will happen at some point in time. They have a lot to learn and that lesson will not come cheap.

 

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

because, you idiot, we have a very large number of poor people in this country who NEED subsidized utilities. There is no private company that would do it, and the rest of us would kak en betaal for profit even more than we are now. Privatisation is a bad bad bad bad plan. You think you are being robbed blind now? Give the company to some rich arseholes whose only goal is money money money!

You don't sink your whole economy to help those poor people while only a few cents in the rand reaches it's destination. You rather protect the the economy, arrest those that are corrupt and fund the poor out of the wealth generation.

 

[wingnut771]

because, you idiot, we have a very large number of poor people in this country who NEED subsidized utilities. There is no private company that would do it, and the rest of us would kak en betaal for profit even more than we are now. Privatisation is a bad bad bad bad plan. You think you are being robbed blind now? Give the company to some rich arseholes whose only goal is money money money!

that's where a free market comes into the equation.

 

[wingnut771]

As long as they keep focusing on saving Eskom, there will be no hope or any chance of success. The collapse is imminent and will happen at some point in time. They have a lot to learn and that lesson will not come cheap.

sadly, i think this is the only way "the people" will get rid on the anc, when the townships lights also go off which afaik isn't happening yet.

 

[Jopie Fourie]

sadly, i think this is the only way "the people" will get rid on the anc, when the townships lights also go off which afaik isn't happening yet.

It will come. The poorest of the poor will be hardest hit.

 

[Zoomzoom]

You don't sink your whole economy to help those poor people while only a few cents in the rand reaches it's destination. You rather protect the the economy, arrest those that are corrupt and fund the poor out of the wealth generation.

obviously, but this won't happen with a private company either. They do not give a flying fart about the economy as that is also the purview of government, they want profit, and will profit regardless of the outcome. See burning the Amazon forest - max profit today, and to hell with tomorrow and/or any other factor.

FYI this is actually why we do not have a private electricity provider. No-one would take the company under the condition of providing for the poor.

 

[wingnut771]

obviously, but this won't happen with a private company either. They do not give a flying fart about the economy as that is also the purview of government, they want profit, and will profit regardless of the outcome. See burning the Amazon forest - max profit today, and to hell with tomorrow and/or any other factor.

FYI this is actually why we do not have a private electricity provider. No-one would take the company under the condition of providing for the poor.

this is why competition is important.

 

[jetlee]

obviously, but this won't happen with a private company either. They do not give a flying fart about the economy as that is also the purview of government, they want profit, and will profit regardless of the outcome. See burning the Amazon forest - max profit today, and to hell with tomorrow and/or any other factor.

FYI this is actually why we do not have a private electricity provider. No-one would take the company under the condition of providing for the poor.

There is no real reason governments need to be involved in SOE's. Governments need to be stewards of TAX, and nothing more. Basic services should be subsidized by the government using tax to create minimum income grants so that people can buy competitive services. If there is not enough money to provide grants, then the argument is broken before it is even started .. we simply cant afford it any way you slice it. The argument that you need government to provide services to the poor, is massively flawed.