section_path: Infrastructure/Energy/Energy crisis
section_name: Energy crisis
paragraph_text: Energy crisis
  
  Due to severe mismanagement and corruption at Eskom, the company is R392bn ($22bn) in debt and is unable to meet the demands of the South African power grid. Due to this, Eskom implemented loadshedding, which is periodically switching off electricity to specific power grids in specific time frames. In South Africa, load shedding is done to prevent a failure of the entire system when the demand for electricity strains the capacity of Eskom's power generating system. Load shedding is characterized by periods of widespread national-level rolling blackouts. Eskom's latest energy availability factor (EAF) data reveals that mismanagement, corruption, poor maintenance, and sabotage caused power station breakdowns. In 2023 the South African Military was deployed to protect Eskom's power stations from sabotage and theft.
  
  In 2007 Eskom started the construction of the " Kusile " and " Medupi " power stations, the two mega power stations will be the largest dry-cooled power stations in the world and among the largest power stations in the world scheduled for completion in 2014. However, these power stations have never met their deadline date with only half of their six units completed and operational mainly caused by long delays and massive cost overruns exceeding more than R300 billion ($16bn) for the two power stations combined, and are only expected to be completed by 2024 or 2026.