SA's electricity crisis | Analyst says red tape needs to be cut

JOHANNESBURG - The red tape stopping independent power producers from contributing to the country's energy grid needs to be cut quickly, according to energy expert Clyde Mallinson.

He says acceleration of policy reform is required to tap into renewable energy and ease regular blackouts.

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Mallinson says the time for talking is over, and action is required if we're serious about addressing electricity issues.

"How can you stop load-shedding when the regulations don't allow for new generation to be procured by Eskom? So there's been a very poor procurement strategy for new energy and that's what has got us into the state we're in now," he said.

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"So now we're trying to fix the fact that we stalled our procurement process and in the meantime while that procurement process is restored you have grift and graft and theft and whatever is going on at Eskom, all of these things are interconnected. And when we see a little green shift of communities trying to do something, that seems to be squashed as well through policy technicality.

"So I don't really want to comment on whether or not ministers are squabbling with each other, as a country we need to move past that. We need to see an action plan being implemented, not an action plan being spoken about.”