SA's power cuts are deliberately inflicted by the ruling party - Robin Renwick

Loading player...
Robin Renwick, Lord Renkwick, was UK ambassador in South Africa from 1987 to 1991. He was here for the end of PW Botha and the release of Nelson Mandela.

In this edition of Podcasts from the Edge he tells Peter Bruce of his rank disappointment at the way the New Beginning he played such a large role in has been frittered away. South Africa, he says, “has almost the lowest literacy rate in Africa, let alone the world. It is a catastrophic failure, and appalling situation”.

Still a big fan of the country and a frequent visitor, he will give the annual FW De Klerk lecture in Cape Town on Friday. He will tell his audience that load-shedding should be called by its name, power cuts, and that “power cuts are deliberately inflicted on South Africa deliberately by the ruling party’s” refusal to allow private companies to generate their own power. That might be changing now but the ANCs “addiction to State-run everything” is going to take a long time to turn around.
7 Nov 2022 English South Africa News Commentary · Politics

Other recent episodes

"We need leadership and discipline"

Eskom Chairman Mteto Nyati tells Peter Bruce in this edition of Podcasts from the Edge that South African’s crisis is about a lack of leadership. It was there at the start…. Like the rest of us he worries about the country but reckons our problems can be solved with discipline…
27 Nov 53 min

So What?

So Donald Trump becomes President. Former DA leader and GNU co-architect Tony Leon tells Peter Bruce in this edition of Podcasts from the Edge that while the Trump White House may indeed smile benignly on South Africa it is highly unlikely. We have built an arc of Trumps biggest targets…
13 Nov 51 min

It's OK to be a little scared

Celebrated South African trade and industry specialist Donald MacKay tells Peter Bruce in this Edition of Podcasts from the Edge that he thinks Donald Trump is going to win the November 5 US presidential election and that the result could spell trouble for South Africa. If Trump declares war on…
30 Oct 40 min

Home Truths

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber tells Peter Bruce in this edition of Podcasts from the Edge that digitising our the entire chain of documentation between the state and us citizens, and for inbound travelers, “is completely doable” despite the weaknesses of the state-owned IT agency, Sita. He says officials are…
16 Oct 42 min

Pots and pots of money

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean McPherson tells Peter Bruce in this edition of Podcasts from the Edge that are are “pots and pots of money” available to finance the right infrastructure projects in South Africa. And the National Treasury sits on a nominal R950bn for infrastructure. The trick though…
9 Oct 39 min