DA Manifesto 2024: How the DA plans to end load shedding and water shedding

DA Manifesto 2024: How the DA plans to end load shedding and water shedding

Under the shadow of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen unveiled the party’s manifesto for the 2024 elections, presenting a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling the pressing issues of load-shedding, water shortages, and the broader infrastructural decline under the ANC government’s watch.

Under the banner of “rescuing South Africa,” Steenhuisen articulated the DA’s vision to overhaul the country’s energy and water sectors, emphasising the failures of the current national government and the urgency of adopting new strategies to ensure stability and growth.

Steenhuisen pointed out, “Load-shedding is the most significant threat to South Africa’s social and economic stability,” criticising the ANC’s reliance on an outdated, state-led model for power generation.

He highlighted the inefficiencies and corruption within Eskom, stating, “Our state-run power utility is in a death spiral, increasingly incapable of keeping the lights on.”

The DA proposes a radical shift towards a competitive energy sector, breaking up the Eskom monopoly to encourage self-generation and investment in renewable energy sources.

“The solution to South Africa’s electricity crisis must come from increased power generation outside of Eskom. South Africa requires a determined shift towards a competitive energy sector where the state does not have a monopoly on power generation, supply, and distribution. A multiplicity of private suppliers will provide competition, thereby improving service, increasing supply and lowering energy prices. The DA will secure our country’s power supply and end load-shedding by breaking up the Eskom monopoly and enabling increased self-generation among consumers, businesses, and municipalities in good standing,” Steenhuisen said.

He pointed out that a lack of reliable electricity supply has resulted in uncertainty for the business environment, discouraging increased investment and job creation.

“In 2022 alone, load-shedding is estimated to have cost the economy R560 billion, resulting in the loss of 650,000 jobs. In addition, unreliable electricity supply has increased the costs of doing business, contributing to the cost-of-living crisis”.

In addition, Steenhuisen said that like electricity, water is “the next big crisis our country faces”.

“Despite the fact that no human being can live without clean water, the latest Blue Drop report indicates that the majority of our country’s water systems “fail to produce compliant final water quality.”

The DA manifesto outlines a plan to tackle this crisis by involving private companies in infrastructure projects and promoting water-sensitive urban development.

The DA leader highlighted how government failures in electricity and water supply disrupt daily life, increase crime, and stifle economic growth.

He cited the staggering cost of load-shedding to the economy and the deepening of energy inequality as critical issues that a DA government would address.

Promising to improve reliability in power and water supply, the DA’s strategy includes unbundling Eskom, prioritising grid infrastructure investment, and promoting ‘prosumers’ to feed excess power back into the grid.

Furthermore, the manifesto vows to combat the water crisis with effective governance, public-private partnerships, and encouraging private investment in water infrastructure.

Highlighting the DA’s governance successes, Steenhuisen pointed to the City of Cape Town and George Municipality’s innovative approaches to energy resilience, from cash-for-electricity initiatives to high buy feed-in tariffs, showcasing a model for other regions to follow.

IOL Politics