While the Iron is Hot

Some of my colleagues have been here since 6:30 this morning. Yesterday's power failure lasted for 6 hours, and with payday due tomorrow, they need to have all their computer work done before we have yet another Black Hole Experience (some of these offices have no outside windows - it gets REALLY dark when the light goes off!).

Needless to say, Capetonians are getting rather peeved at this ongoing power problem. ESKOM, our power supplier, keeps coming up with excuses and delaying the finally-fixed date. It was supposed to be yesterday, now we're told early next week. In the meantime, our petrol producer in Cape Town has shut down, bakeries have given up trying to bake bread, and generators/candles/gas stoves are selling at an unprecedented rate. Trains are stationary - not daring to get out on the lines in case things collapse mid-journey. Millions are being lost in business, in work hours.

And yet there has still been no mention of alternative power, of putting ESKOM out of business by finding another way to get our electricity. Wind, solar, whatever. All we're doing is damage-control of the current situation, without looking ahead. I emailed a couple of investigative reporter types yesterday with this very issue, and hope someone will take it up with the guys in charge, or at least ask some rather pointed questions.

In the meantime, we strike while the iron is hot. The power is still on, and perhaps we'll have it for a few hours this morning. They tend to shut off just before the hour, so we can work for a few minutes more before saving everything "just in case".

Darkest Africa, indeed.