2008
Load-shedding crisis begins
Scheduled electricity blackouts became a sustained national crisis as Eskom faced generation shortfalls, maintenance backlogs and governance failures.
established
social
economic
Scheduled electricity blackouts became a sustained national crisis as Eskom faced generation shortfalls, maintenance backlogs and governance failures.
Significance
Opened more than a decade of recurring power cuts that reshaped daily life, business and politics.
Why it matters
Opened more than a decade of recurring power cuts that reshaped daily life, business and politics.
Disputed interpretations
Causes are contested among underinvestment, corruption, municipal debt, coal-plant failures and policy choices.