A dark Africa lays ahead.....load shedding

[geomark]

Some details on the Medupi fiasco, doesn't make happy reading

 

Eskom’s Medupi nightmare

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/324320-eskoms-medupi-nightmare.html

[Capricorn]

Some details on the Medupi fiasco, doesn't make happy reading

 

Eskom’s Medupi nightmare

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/324320-eskoms-medupi-nightmare.html

 

If true, can't determine if that hot mess is as consequence of deliberate circumvention of safety functions to ensure continued operation, or negligence. Either way, it's massively disappointing as it is aggravating.

[geomark]

If true, can't determine if that hot mess is as consequence of deliberate circumvention of safety functions to ensure continued operation, or negligence. Either way, it's massively disappointing as it is aggravating.

My guess would be a toxic mix of incompetence and corruption at the top ensuring that what needs to be done on the ground cant be and some tech guys on the ground making what plan they could to keep things limping, but it's a guess.

[WrightJnr]

Preventative Maintenance, Safety Measures & Redundancies . Nobody like to spend money and time on that until.......

 

(insert lots of poo and a fan here)

 

Then listen to the excuses on why it went wrong.

[Capricorn]

My guess would be a toxic mix of incompetence and corruption at the top ensuring that what needs to be done on the ground cant be and some tech guys on the ground making what plan they could to keep things limping, but it's a guess.

Sounds like a lot of insider info, doesn't it? Ouch. Eskom's response is going to be interesting: do they own it, or spin it.

[Bonus]

Some details on the Medupi fiasco, doesn't make happy reading

 

Eskom’s Medupi nightmare

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/324320-eskoms-medupi-nightmare.html

 

What the hell?

 

The station boilers are "designed wrong"? the Mills are "designed wrong"? The safety circuits on the conveyors "don't work"? The stacker-reclaimers "don't work"?

 

Is this the first power station ever built in South Africa? NO it isn't!

[Bonus]

Matla power station - built in the 1980's. I did my apprenticeship there . . . .

 

 

[scotty]

Hard hitting and honest. Tells it like she sees is it without all the PC niceties including shedding the bloated staff complement. 

 

 

 

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-10-30-eskom-board-member-slams-interference-says-there-should-be-load-shedding/

Edited October 30, 2019 by scotty

[Lou Zealand]

Hard hitting and honest. Tells it like she sees is it without all the PC niceties including shedding the bloated staff complement. 

 

 

 

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-10-30-eskom-board-member-slams-interference-says-there-should-be-load-shedding/

 

Hard hitting? Perhaps on some aspects...

 

Sure municipal debt is a primary contributor to the state that Eskom finds itself in; but to state that political interference is the root of all evil at the parastatal is somewhat disingenuous.

 

How about the 100 Senior Managers who have refused to be subject to a lifestyle audit? (https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/100-eskom-managers-dont-want-to-be-vetted-state-security-agency-20191015) Does the Board have no influence on this?

 

How about independent reports which stipulate that Eskom is overstaffed by 30,000 employees rather than the 15,000 being stated - and that they are all overpaid!? (https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/261647/huge-number-of-job-cuts-on-the-way-at-eskom-report/)

 

How about their own employee's being implicated in illegal connections? (https://ewn.co.za/2019/03/04/exclusive-eskom-employee-makes-r20k-per-month-on-illegal-power-connections)

 

The Board has been ineffectual and, quite frankly, poor. There seems to be little to no technical knowledge within the Board. Instead of complaining to parliament and the media; and seeking unsustainable increases from NERSA they should be implementing the changes needed to begin salvaging this (rapidly) sinking ship.

Edited October 30, 2019 by Lou Zealand

[kosmonooit]

Furthermore I would argue that the situation exists because, broadly speaking, management have been appointed / anointed with scant regard to skills. experience, insight, proven track record, ability to manage, education etc   due to BEE / AA targets & criteria with the naive belief that will learn on the job.

 

This really renders the organisation dysfunctional from the outset, because they are quite fankly not able to do the crtical job of managing such a big orgnaisation which relies on functional hierarchy,  things do and have fallen apart. This is situatuion is not unique to Eskom as is self evident.

 

Even bigger problem is that the regime is not able to admit the dismal and destructive failure of such policies, and until they do, and the right people are appointed to do the job regardless of race, colour or creed, quite frankly we are stuffed. We, as in all of us. Everyone suffers.

[Capricorn]

Furthermore I would argue that the situation exists because, broadly speaking, management have been appointed / anointed with scant regard to skills. experience, insight, proven track record, ability to manage, education etc   due to BEE / AA targets & criteria with the naive belief that will learn on the job.

 

This really renders the organisation dysfunctional from the outset, because they are quite fankly not able to do the crtical job of managing such a big orgnaisation which relies on functional hierarchy,  things do and have fallen apart. This is situatuion is not unique to Eskom as is self evident.

 

Even bigger problem is that the regime is not able to admit the dismal and destructive failure of such policies, and until they do, and the right people are appointed to do the job regardless of race, colour or creed, quite frankly we are stuffed. We, as in all of us. Everyone suffers.

Even after all this shittiness has bubbled into the public domain, you have stations and their managers who are still pushing this numbers game at the expense of competence. When oh when, is eskom corporate HR going to be called to account. 

[mazambaan]

Ingula reminded me - my partner signed up for a senior technical role in the construction at tender stage and lasted about a week; rotten.

 

He worked on Drakensberg and investigated at least one very promising pumped storage scheme near Durban. His colleagues went on to Steenbras and Lesotho Highlands; finally. Investigation into Lesotho started in the 50's; and 60's the Oxbow scheme.

[scotty]

As expected

 

“NUM is angered with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s decision to go ahead with the unbundling of Eskom,” the union said in a statement on Wednesday.

It made demands including that officials abandon the plan to split Eskom and cancel power purchase agreements with independent power producers.

“If these demands are not met we will shut down electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as such plunging the country into darkness,” the statement said.

https://ewn.co.za/2019/10/30/num-threatens-more-power-cuts-over-eskom-split

[Capricorn]

As expected

 

“NUM is angered with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s decision to go ahead with the unbundling of Eskom,” the union said in a statement on Wednesday.

It made demands including that officials abandon the plan to split Eskom and cancel power purchase agreements with independent power producers.

“If these demands are not met we will shut down electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as such plunging the country into darkness,” the statement said.

https://ewn.co.za/2019/10/30/num-threatens-more-power-cuts-over-eskom-split

 

Cyril's move. 

Will Moody's standby and wait for the game of chicken to play out, or finally call it? the MTBPS is unclear on the details of the rest of south africa's growth. it was very disappointing tbh. I literally dont know how this country is supposed to go forward.

But we'll know Friday, if Moody's doesn't pull another bait and switch delay.

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by Capricorn

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

This is flat out treason, holding a whole country to ransom.

The unions days are numbered, they are just too stupid/arrogant/ignorant to see it.

If the unions continue to rule the roost then this country will tank, if it hasn't already.

[sias]

If the unions continue to rule the roost then this country will tank, if it hasn't already.

Do you actually think these brain dead morons give a flying f..ck if the economy tanks or not? They can't even spell economy, FFS!!!