Tag: loadshedding

White English-speaking South Africans flee the country

Immigration lawyers have noticed a spike in inquiries from South African residents interested in emigrating from one or two a week last year to about 10 a week now.

Even the NGO Homecoming Revolution, which encourages expats to return to South Africa, admits there is a spike of “negative sentiment” in the country.

Homecoming Revolution CEO Angel Jones puts the feelings of despair down to load-shedding, xenophobic attacks, weak leaders, crime, the Omar al-Bashir saga and South Africa’s alleged involvement in the Fifa corruption scandal.

Sadly Jones’organisation saw no benefits from attacking Afrikaans-language schools.

“The main destinations people plan to go to are the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in that order,” immigration lawyer Chris Watters said.

Jennifer Vickerman, of Kramer Villion Norris Attorneys, said people who approached her about relocation cited crime, Eskom, investing abroad and better employment opportunities as the reasons behind their immigration plans.

White English-speaking South Africans worry the most about the state of government hospitals and their children’s long-term career prospects in South Africa, but one family admitted that they had had to return to the country about a year ago after living in Israel proved too expensive.

Althea Appolis, a coloured Cape Town resident, is also emigrating to Australia with her family in a few months.

“We have had enough of this place. No amount of beauty, culture or spirit can right the wrongs of the government,” she said.

“Along with at least six other families we have lodged applications for Australia via an immigration attorney, who confirmed the sudden influx of applications citing people who have decided now is the best time to leave.”

Damon Chadwick, who will graduate this year with a business degree, is planning to head to Berlin in December.

Source: Timeslive

Sowetans attack Eskom for blackouts

Eskom is under attack – by the City of Joburg and the regional ANC over the almost week-long spate of power outages in Soweto.

The council has slammed the power utility for inefficiency and for failing to deliver on its mandate.

The City of Joburg claimed areas supplied by its own utility, City Power, still had power, but those Eskom supplied did not.

“This is why new housing and business developments such as RDP houses, flats and hotels have power in the township, while the large part of Soweto supplied by Eskom has been cut off,” said Matshidiso Mfikoe, the city’s mayoral committee member for Environment and Infrastructure Services.

She accused Eskom of being “insensitive” and showing “complete and utter disregard” for the people of Soweto.

But Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said there was “nothing sinister” about the power outages.

He attributed the blackouts to load shedding and then, when the power was due to be switched on again, overloading that caused the transformer to trip.

“When you have in some houses four or five backrooms using stoves at the same time, there is absolutely no way that the power will hold.

“We can’t control unplanned outages resulting from overloading,” Phasiwe said.

Eskom has been involved in a long-running battle with Soweto consumers over unpaid bills. Phasiwe said Soweto owed Eskom about R8 billion, of which R4bn was overdue.

“Some 84 percent of residents have not been paying their debt. Ideally, you should be having 16 percent not paying and 84 percent paying,” Phasiwe pointed out.

A key dispute – related to the outstanding billing problem – is the installation of prepaid electricity meters in Soweto. Both Eskom and City Power are installing meters for their customers. There have been ongoing protests across Soweto against their installation. Last week, Orlando West residents blockaded streets in protest against Eskom’s prepaid meters.

Mfikoe accused Eskom of changing the payment system unilaterally. She suggested it was inconceivable that the prolonged outages could occur without notice “in the township internationally renowned as home to two Nobel peace laureates, Dr Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu”.

Source: IOL