Abstract

MULLER, Mike. Load shedding as a result of failures at the political-technological interface. S. Afr. j. sci. [online]. 2023, vol.119, n.9-10, pp.1-5. ISSN 1996-7489.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/16595.

SIGNIFICANCE: In effective developmental states, technocrats are 'embedded' in the political system with sufficient autonomy to undertake their tasks. South Africa's current electricity crisis is attributed here, in part, to an initial mistrust between the country's new political leadership and its 'old-order' technocrats following the political transition of 1994. This trust deficit led to policy missteps in the development of new electricity generation. The impact of these missteps was compounded by the adoption of a risky, politically driven, project management strategy. The outcome was not just substantial cost increases but the project delays that resulted in the current 'load shedding'.

Keywords : electricity supply; developmental state; technology policy; megaproject management.

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