EFFECTS
THE ENERGY EFFECT
CAN SOUTH AFRICA BEAT THE CURRENT ENERGY CRISIS? By: Lusanda Tamesi
S
outh Africa’s electricity crisis started in January 2008, where more than 20% of the country’s electricity generating capacity was out of commission, a crisis that left the country with a ‘candlelit’ experience. Although experts in the field had known for years that South Africa was running out of power supply, our collective wound was reopened when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. A staggering 10% of our population density has no access to electricity. Residents of ‘Covid’, a new densely populated informal residential area in Delft, Cape Town, gave us some insight into how their living conditions are. “When I sit in a taxi, I notice I smell bad and it’s because of the flame stove I use,” said one resident. According to Covid residents, candles and gas stoves have been part of their livelihood since the place was established. This informal settlement has live wires from a power grid of illegal power connections that explode when there are downpours. Fezile Nxesi, who’s currently pursuing his studies in Mechatronics at the University of Western Cape (UWC), is certain that there is a future in green energy. Systems that are implemented to produce renewable energy are being produced in large quantities and these include solar and wind projects. Load shedding has a negative impact on almost all important daily needs of people and all critical systems in our environment and in industries. Since physical systems fundamentally rely on energy to operate, a shortage of energy supply has a direct negative impact on the development of the country’s economy. Nxesi says that, regarding the green energy future of South Africa, a shift to a low-carbon economy is necessary as the country does not have to rely on large amounts of fossil fuel, as other advanced economies do. He adds that engineering students need to work with relevant professionals to implement security systems to work against corruption since corruption is the root course of many development problems.
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Science Stars Energy Issue | www.sciencestars.co.za
