ECSA CEO Sicelo Xulu on how to fix Eskom

Eskom, South Africa's state-owned electricity utility, has been facing a myriad of challenges in recent years, from technical failures to financial constraints. The crisis has not only impacted the daily lives of South Africans but has also had severe economic implications. In a recent interview with CNBC Africa, Sicelo Xulu, the CEO of the South Africa Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE), shed light on the efforts being made to address the Eskom crisis. Xulu shared insights from a meeting the SAIEE had with the Minister of Public Enterprise, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between stakeholders to find lasting solutions. He highlighted the need for local engineering expertise to be leveraged in tackling Eskom's challenges, rather than solely relying on foreign experts. One of the key issues identified by Xulu and his team of engineers is the operational and capacity challenges within Eskom. Despite having significant installed capacity, Eskom struggles with availability due to planned maintenance and unexpected failures. Xulu emphasized the importance of increasing availability and capacity to address the electricity supply shortfall. Furthermore, Xulu pointed out the impact of external factors such as state capture investigations on the morale of Eskom employees. He stressed the need to inspire confidence and rally employees behind the common goal of resolving the technical, capacity, and restructuring issues within Eskom. The interview with Xulu underscored the vital role that local engineering expertise plays in finding sustainable solutions for Eskom. By harnessing the knowledge and experience of South African engineers, Eskom can work towards a more reliable and efficient electricity supply system.