海角大神

Internet service providers down and traffic lights off. Taps running dry. Cold supply chains at risk.聽

These are just some of the problems that beset South African citizens and businesses each time a power cut descends. And, amid a major power supply crisis, the lights are now going out every day.

On Thursday, in his State of the Union speech to Parliament, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a 鈥渘ational state of disaster to respond to the electricity crisis and its effects.鈥�

Eskom, the state-owned entity that supplies 90% of South Africa鈥檚 electricity, is creaking under the weight of aging, coal-fired power stations as well as corruption and sabotage. Uncertain policies and a lack of investment have added further pressure. Rolling blackouts 鈥� known locally as load shedding 鈥� have reduced economic growth in Africa鈥檚 biggest economy to a predicted 0.3% this year.聽

The blackouts have also shone a harsh spotlight on the African National Congress (ANC) party that has ruled since apartheid ended in 1994, and which promised electricity and economic growth as dividends of democracy.聽Instead, officials now talk of trying to avert 鈥淎rmageddon鈥� 鈥� shorthand for a total collapse of the electricity grid.

Eskom鈥檚 relentless decline has become emblematic of a broader failure by the ANC to deliver services and tackle the growing corruption that is hollowing out state institutions.

鈥淭his is beyond just an inconvenience. The blackouts are a symbol of the service failures across a whole range of government departments,鈥� says Chris Yelland, managing director and energy analyst at Johannesburg-based EE Business Intelligence consultancy. 鈥淚t goes without saying there are economic impacts, but what we鈥檙e seeing now is the political impact,鈥� ahead of elections next year.

As the country limps through the power crisis, almost every facet of life suffers. Learners study by candlelight and businesses are forced to rely on expensive diesel-guzzling generators, or to close altogether. Farmers鈥� broiler chickens聽suffocate, and dairy products spoil.聽

Last month, Eskom鈥檚 CEO even urged citizens to think twice about how much water they boiled for a cup of tea in a bid to reduce their electricity consumption.

鈥淓mpty promises鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 supposed to be this way.聽

Africa鈥檚 economic powerhouse boasts glittering malls, world-class infrastructure, and a sophisticated financial sector, built on the back of a liberation movement that swept into power promising to uplift millions of impoverished Black citizens.聽

During apartheid, Beef Nguma鈥檚 family was among the 80% of South Africans forced to rely on firewood. Soon after the ANC took power in 1994, electricity came for the first time to Nkwaukazi, a scattering of huts in the spectacular, remote hills of the former Transkei.聽

鈥淲hen the ANC came, they promised us everything. Education, land, jobs, electricity,鈥� Mr. Nguma recalls of the ANC鈥檚 early days, when supporters risked their lives and freedom for the party鈥檚 cause.

Now, youth unemployment of nearly 60% and stagnating growth threaten the stability of both South Africa and the wider region that relies on the continent鈥檚 most industrialized nation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like it was all just empty promises,鈥� says Mr. Nguma, who won鈥檛 be voting for the ANC in elections next year.

Ironically, around 90% of households today are hooked to the national electricity grid thanks to the ANC鈥檚 policies. That means millions of dollars鈥� worth of contracts annually to maintain and modernize a utility originally designed to serve only a white minority of the population. Under former President Jacob Zuma, a bloated Eskom became the biggest source of enrichment for ANC-connected business people and some criminal cartels who deliberately sabotage infrastructure so as to win contracts to repair it, at the expense of the public.

The state鈥檚 most important asset was 鈥渢he main theater where corruption, state capture was taking place,鈥� said Jabu Mabuza, the former chairman of Eskom鈥檚 board, during the wide-reaching Zondo聽inquiry聽into public corruption, which also dissected the collapse of state-owned companies like the Post Office and South African Airways.

That corruption can be life-threatening. Andre de Ruyter, the outgoing Eskom CEO, resigned in December, citing a lack of political support for reform. That same day, he survived an assassination attempt after drinking a cup of tea laced with cyanide.聽

鈥淚 know one manager at Eskom who goes about wearing a bulletproof vest to work, who has two stand-in personal protectors at any given time,鈥� President Ramaphosa said recently.聽

Ol鈥� King Coal

One morning last month, Thando Makhubu went to renew his car registration papers at a government office in Soweto, Johannesburg鈥檚 lively, sprawling township.聽 But the power was out, which meant the government website on which he needed to update his details was down.

In all, what should have been a 20-minute errand to renew his car papers turned into a six-hour ordeal for Mr. Makhubu.

As an entrepreneur, he is familiar with trying to find solutions. Stuck at home during the pandemic, he began saving a monthly 350 rand ($21) social grant. Last year he received praise from the president for using those savings to launch a gourmet ice cream shop in the township.

But like many small-business owners, he has struggled to cope with load shedding, which sometimes means he has no electricity for three 4.5-hour stretches a day. Mr. Makhubu says he鈥檚 now mulling over whether to install solar panels and lithium batteries, which would cost upwards of 100,000 rand ($5,700.) In his speech on Thursday, President Ramaphosa promised policies to encourage the deployment of rooftop solar panels.

鈥淲e do have a generator, fortunately, but running it [for hours] is expensive. It鈥檚 eating away at our profits,鈥� Mr. Makhubu says. It鈥檚 also costly in other ways. 鈥淪ome customers believe we鈥檙e not operational when there鈥檚 load shedding,鈥� he laments.聽

Such woes are hurting the economy as a whole. The South African Reserve Bank cut its forecast for economic growth this year to 0.3%, from 1.1%, citing the energy crisis.

Construction delays and cost overruns at two giant, coal-fired plants, Medupi and Kusile, have magnified the problem. When construction began 15 years ago, they were expected to shore up the rickety grid, but they are still not fully operational.聽

Key to ending the shortages, experts say, is increased use of renewable energy sources. But that idea has faced opposition from high-ranking officials within the ANC: South Africa鈥檚 coal industry provides around 90,000 jobs, and the country鈥檚 exports have also plugged a major shortfall in Europe as the continent cranks up coal burning to make up for banned Russian gas.

Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, nicknamed 鈥淥l鈥� King Coal鈥� by the local press, has often delayed approving renewable energy projects. He once labeled environmental activism 鈥渃olonialism and apartheid of a special type.鈥�

鈥淭he minister of energy is the biggest problem for Eskom because he is delaying the procurement of new energy,鈥� says David Walwyn, a professor at the University of Pretoria鈥檚 Graduate School of Technology Management. 鈥淓skom is trapped politically and economically.鈥澛�

Analysts say the blackouts are eroding ANC support.

鈥淎s a South African citizen, I feel disappointed,鈥� Mr. Makhubu, the ice cream store owner, says. 鈥淲e were told [democracy] is for the people, by the people, but it鈥檚 for them by them,鈥� he says of former liberation fighters-turned-political elites.

Last month, the聽Democratic Alliance, the main opposition party, received public support for its bid to block a planned 18.5% electricity tariff increase even amid the shortages. The party also organized well-attended rallies under the banner of protesting what it called 鈥渢he ANC-engineered electricity crisis.鈥澛�

鈥淟oad shedding has taken away your power. It is time to take away the ANC鈥檚,鈥� tweeted party leader John Steenhusien.聽