South Africa is on the brink of collapse due to ongoing power shortages and the likelihood that the country’s energy infrastructure will completely fail in the coming days. This could lead to mass riots which could turn into a semi-civil war. This is stated in News.com’s coverage of the situation in the country.
It says embassies of Western countries, such as the United States and Australia, have advised their citizens in the country to stock up on water and food and stay indoors in case the electricity would be cut off and would not be accessible for some time.
The frequency of crime has increased significantly
The situation has been bad for some time, but has worsened in recent days. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of emergency in the country on February 9 due to power shortages. Public energy company Eskom recently rationed electricity, meaning that in some places power cuts lasted up to 12 hours and had a hugely negative impact on many areas of public life.
In addition to the obvious inconvenience to individuals, businesses and institutions, there is a great risk that centuries of burglaries and violence will unfold across the country during the blackout. Crime rates have already risen dramatically, and it could get worse if the country’s electrical system fails completely.
Survived cyanide poisoning
The reason for this disaster is multiple, but the outgoing CEO of Eskom, André de Ruyter, blames the endemic corruption in the South African system of governance. De Ruyter took office in 2020 and is committed to fighting corruption in the public sector. He didn’t have a tough job and in the aftermath of his resignation in December this year, an attempt was made to poison the CEO when cyanide was slipped into his coffee cup. De Ruyter survived the plot, but he made many enemies after, among other things, exposing the influence of criminal groups in the energy sector.
Total collapse something to prepare
Although the country’s energy system is unlikely to completely collapse, such disasters have indeed become a possibility that South African leaders must prepare for. The aforementioned review indicates that restarting the electrical system could take 6 to 14 days, which could have disastrous consequences. He also says that major companies in the country are already preparing for such a situation by installing backup generators.
Lack of energy is not the only problem affecting South Africa. Inflation in the country is 7% and unemployment is over 32%. Then the currency, the South African rand, has fallen sharply lately.
South Africa
