In Johannesburg, dozens of supporters of the Democratic Alliance, the first opposition party demonstrated against the series of load shedding which is handicapping the South African economy and the well-being of part of the population.
Dressed in the colors of the Democratic Alliance party, they marched to the headquarters of the ANC, to shout their fed up with the electricity crisis. South Africa faces a long period of power cuts.
To make up for the lack, the population of 60 million and companies is subject to scheduled load shedding. These cuts have reached records since last year, going up to more than 11 hours a day.
Recurring cuts are already hitting the economy hard, especially the food industry: “I had to close four stores and twenty people lost their jobs, all because of load shedding,” laments Lloyd Peltier, 40, owner of a chicken meat retail business.
Under pressure for its carbon emissions, South Africa is under pressure to decarbonize. An envelope of 98 billion dollars was approved at COP27 to support the country in its energy transition.