Cape Town – Eskom is reportedly facing annual losses of around R7 billion in Gauteng due to non-technical issues primarily caused by illegal connections.
Senior manager for maintenance and operations in the region, Mashangu Shivambu, revealed that the power utility loses nearly R22 billion per year due to non-technical losses, with Gauteng contributing R7 billion to that amount, Times Live reported.
In an effort to address this problem, Eskom recently conducted network audits and disconnected residents in Setjwetla, Alexandra who had illegally connected their households to substations.
The utility also highlighted the dangers and illegality of building homes under Eskom pylons.
‘“[Eskom is losing a lot of money] that we were supposed to use to maintain our plant, making sure we create an infrastructure that will ensure people have reliable electricity,” the report quoted Shivambu as saying.
Shivambu explained that illegal connections not only lead to network faults but also result in unscheduled outages for customers, particularly after load-shedding.
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“Customers will be off because we have network faults that are generated by these illegal connections. The connections are not properly done, not protected and as a result [the network trips],” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reportedly plans to seek assistance from the Chinese government to ensure reliable access to solar panels, as the demand for alternative energy sources grows.
According to Bloomberg News, he will travel to China to meet with major solar equipment manufacturers and discuss ways to facilitate the importation of panels amidst ongoing blackouts in the country.
The reliance on the national power utility, Eskom, has led businesses and households in South Africa to seek alternatives to the grid due to frequent power cuts caused by outdated and poorly maintained coal-fired plants.
Currently, there are only two solar panel manufacturers in the country, both of which have allocated their output to mining projects. Consequently, South Africa heavily relies on imports from China for solar panels, Ramokgopa said.
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“Even when there is supply, you still wait three to four months,” he said in an interview. “We will say to the Chinese that we are sitting with this problem, can you accelerate for us?,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
Earlier this month, Ramokgopa revealed that the Chinese government would soon provide a significant grant to install strategic energy solutions in key installations across the country.
He said that the Chinese government has offered South Africa equipment like solar panels and generators that can be installed at public institutions to prevent power disruptions, News24 reported.
“We will be announcing a major grant that the Chinese government and its people are making available to us …So we do not get into a situation where we fail to provide our promise of uninterrupted, quality supply…
“The Chinese are the first to come back to us and say they will provide this kind of equipment like PVs…,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
He reassured the public that the national power grid was not at risk of collapsing.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
