Cape Town – Energy crisis unlikely to ease in 12 months, warns Eskom
With continued infrastructure failures at power generation facilities, Eskom has implemented higher stages of scheduled power outages. Eyewitness News reports that the embattled power company said in a statement that it was unsure how long this load cut-off period would last, adding that the situation was unlikely to improve by December 2023. Eskom spokesman Sikhonathi Mantshantsha said that the Stage 6 load shedding would be implemented until further notice, adding: “This is due to a large number of outages since midnight, as well as the requirement to strictly preserve the remaining emergency generation reserves. Eskom will publish a statement complete in due time.” Load shedding is expected to persist through the end-of-year holidays.
Durban beaches closed again
Amid an ongoing sewage crisis, Durban’s uMhlanga Bronze Beach and uMhlanga Main beach have been closed due to water quality concerns. MESS reports. This comes after water tests after recent rains detected bacteria in sewage that reached the sea via the Ohlanga River. The closure of the beaches comes a week after the mayor of the eThekwini metropolitan area, Mxolisi Kaunda, declared the city open to the public during the festive season. Durban is a major local destination for tourists.
100,000 auto jobs at stake if nation doesn’t decarbonise in 8 years, minister warns
The Minister of the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, has said that if the auto industry fails to decarbonise and make more electric and hybrid vehicles, almost 100,000 jobs may be lost in the coming years. business technology reports. South African automakers have been urged to decarbonise by 2030, as it is the deadline by which the European Union will no longer import internal combustion engines from South Africa. “If we don’t keep pace with that call, for new electric vehicles, no less than 100,000 jobs are at risk. In other words, in that sector, we lose our status as a stakeholder and business partner in the sector beyond that.” point,” Gungubele said.
