Three parliamentary committees will this week visit Eskom's Megawatt Park head office to assess the power utility's efforts to resolve South Africa’s energy crisis.

On Wednesday, the portfolio committees on public enterprises, mineral resources and energy and the select committee on public enterprises and communication said they would meet stakeholders at Eskom on Thursday and Friday.

The visit follows an announcement by board chairperson Mpho Makwana that Eskom is considering a plan to implement permanent stage 2 and 3 loadshedding over the next 24 months.

While electricity blackouts are not new, there has been an outcry over continuous and severe load-shedding, seemingly with no end in sight.

The committees raised concern over constant load-shedding and its adverse impact on the country, adding it was worsening socioeconomic challenges. 

“The aim of the interaction is to assess the interventions being rolled out to address the energy challenge and ensure security of energy supply. A secure energy supply will add impetus to efforts to grow the economy and address the unemployment challenge,” said public enterprises portfolio committee chair Khaya Magaxa.

“The committees will engage various stakeholders, including organised labour, the Eskom board and senior management to ensure there is a common goal the entity is working towards.

“We have a responsibility as public representatives to do oversight and ensure challenges are resolved,” said select committee chair Zolani Mkiva.

The MPs aim to address the security of electricity supply, the operational state of power stations, governance at the entity, solutions to loadshedding and alleged sabotage and theft at power stations.

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