Fikile Mbalula’s strange claim about Eskom

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula recently stated that Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) has reached 70%, highlighting the ANC’s commitment to ending load shedding and load reduction.

Mbalula made these remarks during a media briefing on 6 August 2025, following the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

“The work of stabilising Eskom, with the energy availability factor now at 70%, is a milestone,” Mbalula told media representatives.

“That speaks to the ANC’s determination to end load shedding and ultimately load reduction and ensure energy security for all South Africans.”

“We are seeing tangible results of the energy action plan, which must now be replicated in other strategic sectors such as water, logistics and public infrastructure.”

However, Eskom’s latest data indicates that the year-to-date EAF was 60.14%, which is below the 63.1% recorded during the same period last year.

This suggests a year-on-year decrease in Eskom’s energy availability.

The government had set a target for the Eskom board, appointed in 2022, to reach a 70% EAF by 31 March 2025.

The current year-to-date EAF of 60.14% remains below this target, contributing to ongoing load shedding and load reduction in some areas.

This is not the first time Mbalula has made projections about load shedding. Two years ago, he said in an interview with Power to Truth’s JJ Tabane that “Load-shedding, before the end of the year, should be something of the past.”

Load shedding has, however, continued into 2024 and 2025, albeit at varying levels of severity.

The ANC government caused Eskom’s problems

Mbalula did not address that Eskom’s ongoing challenges and load shedding have been linked by many analysts and reports to political interference, underinvestment, as well as issues related to governance and corruption within the utility over several decades.

In the 1990s, Eskom was regarded as an efficient power utility, producing electricity at one of the lowest rates globally.

In 2001, it was named the “Power Company of the Year” at the Financial Times Global Energy Awards.

Since then, Eskom’s performance has declined.

Reports and investigations, including findings from the Zondo Commission, have highlighted issues relating to political interference, procurement irregularities, and governance challenges within Eskom.

For example, senior positions were reportedly filled with politically aligned appointees, and certain contractors with ties to political entities were involved in controversial procurement processes.

Hitachi Power Africa, a key contractor for Medupi and Kusile power stations, was fined for violations related to anti-bribery laws involving its local partner, Chancellor House, the ANC’s investment arm.

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has publicly expressed concerns that whistleblower reports were ignored and that some implicated executives received protection.

The ANC in Parliament also used its majority to block or weaken investigations into Eskom during the peak of state capture.

These factors have contributed to Eskom’s financial and operational challenges and continue to affect South Africa’s energy security.

Therefore, the ANC has been an active participant in the hollowing out of Eskom over the last twenty years, which resulted in financial and operational challenges.

Eskom’s operational performance

The charts below, courtesy of EE Business Intelligence MD Chris Yelland, provide an overview of Eskom’s operational performance over the last few years.