Babalo Ndenze5 December 2024 | 4:21

MK's Molefe says Eskom still faces load shedding risk despite improved performance

Molefe and other members of the energy and electricity portfolio committee were questioning Eskom management on Wednesday, after the entity presented its improved performance.

MK's Molefe says Eskom still faces load shedding risk despite improved performance

An illuminated signboard on display outside the Eskom Regional Office in Braamfontein, Johannesburg during load shedding on 31 January, 2023. Picture: AFP

CAPE TOWN - Former Eskom CEO and MK Party MP, Brian Molefe, said that Eskom still faces a risk of load shedding.

He said this was despite improvements over the last eight months, with no blackouts.

Molefe and other members of the energy and electricity portfolio committee were questioning Eskom management on Wednesday after the entity presented its improved performance.

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The Eskom board and management on Wednesday gave an encouraging presentation to the committee on how its revenue had improved because of a lack of load shedding.

Board chairperson, Dr Mteto Nyati, said that having no load shedding should be normal again.

"And in fact, when we get to that point, we don’t even want to be discussing this thing of numbers. It should be a normal thing that there should be no load shedding in our country."

READ MORE: Eskom management tells Parliament the utility has shown significant operational performance

But Molefe, who is credited with ending load shedding during his tenure, was not convinced.

"Because at an EAF (energy availability factor) of 63 percent, you still have risk of load shedding."

But Eskom said the maintenance and the return of a number of units next year would improve the system even further.