Responding to the electricity crisis, Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster and appointed Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as minister of electricity in the Presidency.
Although there are many arguments for and against the state of disaster and the electricity minister position, I think all South Africans agree that drastic measures are required to improve the situation. However, I do not think these announcements will bring any quick fixes to the table.
For South Africans, load shedding is our biggest crisis. It disrupts our lives, hinders us from doing our work, preparing food and relaxing in front of TV after work. It directly impacts the quality of life of those who need electricity for oxygen machines to breathe.
From 2007 to 2022, Eskom increased electricity prices by 653%, trying to increase revenue to alleviate its large debt while simultaneously trying to maintain power stations and add some new generation capacity. Until 2007, South Africa was always globally praised as one of the countries with the most stable power supply, and electricity was priced among the lowest in the world. Our economy revolves around the national grid and is heavily reliant on it.
Given the above, our food system faces three problems. Firstly, load shedding causing interrupted national power supply and increasing production and processing costs as fuel generators and solar power must be relied on. Secondly, the costs of food production, processing, and distribution increases sharply as electricity prices increase. Thirdly, new investments in the food chain are discouraged as it is heavily reliant on electricity, of which there is not enough.
Over the last number of months, the media detailed the impact of load shedding on the food system. Visuals ranged from photos and videos of withered irrigated crops and chicken farms full of dead broilers. This was due to hours of insufficient power being directed to water, heating and ventilation systems for chicken farms.
Consumers immediately fear a situation where there will be insufficient food in South Africa as the headlines read that food security is under pressure.
So where are the monsters? Although load shedding is the most visible monster here, the ever-increasing electricity price and the general shortage thereof that discourages future investment also lurk in the dark. In my opinion, the electricity crisis does not yet threaten food security in terms of availability. Still, it is creating a monster in terms of the inflation of food prices and making food less affordable.
Although private solar power and fuel generators assist in alleviating the electricity crises, it is not the solution. The problem with solar power, for users requiring large amounts of electricity, is that it is too expensive to install batteries to use during the night. Fuel generators can supply electricity 24 hours a day. Still, the fuel cost to generate 1kW alone is double what Eskom charges, making it too expensive in the long run. The only option is to get the national electricity grid functional again. )Prof. Frikkie Maré is the head of the Agricultural Economics department at the University of the Free State (UFS).
