As if the present heatwave, drought and now floods sweeping across SA are not enough, we are being subjected to prolonged power blackouts.

Eskom and our government seem to be careless and rather indifferent to the difficulty felt by ordinary citizens and businesses.

During the dark hours of the night we, the ordinary citizens, suffer much in our daily lives for want of light; the old and the sick, and especially the children also suffer in many ways.

The anti-socials become more active, taking advantage of the darkness, and it becomes risky for one to be on the dark streets at night.

These blackouts also have a weakening effect on the economy by decreasing mining and factory output, and this would mean the economy will be heading for a recession. Our factories and mines depend on electricity.

They cannot operate without ample electricity. If they cannot work, they cannot earn profit and cannot pay their employees' wages.

Eskom seems to be totally incompetent at solving problems. We have seen problems with coal supply contracts, technical breakdowns, Eskom's inability to forecast electricity demand, poor quality coal and currently problems with wet coal due to excessive rain and a technical problem at the Medupi power station.

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Our president and government need to take responsibility for the crisis and to fix it. We need bold leaders in all state-owned entities, Eskom included.

Emmanuel Peek, Glenwood, Durban