Eskom’s new logo sparks controversy amid load shedding woes

The natopnal power utility finds itself in the midst of controversy as it seeks a new corporate identity. Unforrtunately, Eskom’s new logo comes at the peak of high tarrifs and ongoing load shedding.

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ESKOM’S NEW LOGO SPARKS CONTROVERSY AMID HIGH TARIFFS

This move has drawn sharp criticism from the Democratic Alliance (DA) amid ongoing struggles with soaring electricity tariffs and persistent load shedding.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister of public enterprises Ghaleb Cachalia said they have unequivocally rejected a recent tender issued by Eskom, which solicits services for logo design and corporate identity development.

In the eyes of the opposition party, this endeavor is seen as a needless vanity project that contributes little to addressing South Africa’s pressing load shedding crisis or offering relief to consumers grappling with exorbitant electricity prices.

The DA is now calling upon Calib Cassim, the acting CEO of Eskom, to swiftly rescind the tender, deeming it a frivolous expenditure. This move has been met with particular dismay in light of Eskom’s recent tariff increase of 31.4%, which has placed a heavy financial burden on South African households.

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‘CEO SHOULD RESCIND THE TENDER, DEEMING IT A FRIVOLOUS EXPENDITURE’

“With Eskom keeping the country on edge with their repeat warnings that load shedding can be introduced on a short notice, it is astounding that their priority at the moment is a logo change. Instead of looking for ways to increase generation capacity and do away with load shedding permanently, Eskom thinks it is necessary to focus their strategy on sprucing up their image.”DA Shadow Minister of Public EnterprisesGhaleb Cachalia MP

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THE GOVERNMENT ABSORBED R254 BILLION OF ESKOM’S DEBT

At a time when Eskom continually issues warnings of imminent load shedding, keeping the nation on edge, the prioritization of a logo revamp has left many bewildered.

Consumers have hoped to see Eskom focus on augmenting power generation capacity and permanently alleviating the scourge of load shedding.

South Africans are currently enduring one of the most severe cost-of-living crises in recent memory, a situation exacerbated by Eskom’s sky-high electricity tariffs.

THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH WILL ESKOM’S NEW LOGO COST?

The taxpayers have already shouldered a significant burden, having contributed over R180 billion to bail out Eskom, with minimal improvements in electricity supply.

Earlier this year, the government absorbed R254 billion of Eskom’s debt, placing a substantial financial strain on taxpayers.

Many South Africans expected Eskom to exhibit corporate responsibility by prudently utilizing taxpayer funds.

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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE REDESIGN?

However, the decision to allocate significant resources to a logo redesign and rebranding effort has raised concerns about misallocated funds that could have served more pressing needs.

The DA insists that Cassim must promptly cancel the tender to redirect resources where they are genuinely needed.