Load Shedding: Will it be the ANC’s undoing come 2024 elections?
Using load shedding as an election weapon, the energy crisis has become a big talking point with opposition parties at this years elections,
The timing of Stage 6 load shedding could not have been worse for the ANC, says broadcast journalist Stephen Grootes, as it coincided with the State of the Nation Address (Sona) and the launch of the EFF’s election manifesto.
In an opinion piece published by Daily Maverick, he said the energy crisis in South Africa will be a big bone of contention leading up to this year’s national and provincial elections.
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MALEMA SAYS EFF CAN FIX LOAD SHEDDING IN SIX MONTH
On Saturday, EFF leader Julius Malema delivered his party’s manifesto and promised that if elected into national government, the EFF will stop load shedding within six months.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said we should bring back industry experts who have been able to stop load shedding before. He said as part of the EFF’s plan; the party intends to recruit a group of engineers who are willing to help.
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DA WILL ALSO LIKELY USE ENERGY CRISIS AS AN ELECTION WEAPON
Grootes says this coming weekend, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is also likely to use its manifesto launch to turn up the heat on the ANC. It has previously been a part of a series of court applications against the ANC-led government for load shedding.
On Saturday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula tweeted on X: “Stage 6 load shedding clear sabotage. Strong extra security measures are needed.”
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FIKILE MBALULA: POSSIBILITY OF SABOTAGE STAGE 6
On Sunday, he repeated this claim, telling ANC supporters in KwaZulu-Natal that the state must not rule out the possibility of sabotage, which is aligned to significant events in the country.
“There are many questions that ordinary people like ourselves ask about load shedding and how it is happening, and those questions point to the direction that it is very clear there is sabotage,” he said.