Last One Out Turn the Lights Off

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I sympathize with the youngsters who were first forced to wear masks and now they go to school with no electricity and come home to no electricity. This is not a life you want to be a part of and for many it is time to say goodbye and emigrate.

Tonight whilst switching over the power after yet another power interruption I bumped into the neighbor doing the same thing. The talk consisted of the usual bitching and what we can do to change things. This is not normal what we are experiencing currently as today was yet another 8 hours of power cuts.

His property is on 3 phase and last year he looked at solar to go off the grid entirely and would have cost around $15K. He thought like many have that the prices have to come down as more people start changing over. That price is now $25K which makes no sense as he had the same company quote this week.

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The smart money says another 3-4 years if not longer. With South Africa having chosen sides being part of BRICS then maybe they should ask their buddies. I have no sympathy with this lot as they have cooked their Goose this time. Imagine having to wait another 4 years or longer to maybe see if your business can survive. In that time you could be established elsewhere.

I mentioned even at that price it is still worth it as next year the proposals are that the electricity will rise by another 32%. This will force many more to go the solar route and the demand will outweigh the supply forcing the prices to rise yet again. This is backward thinking in many ways as you would expect the opposite to happen.

Last night and today I noticed that the sound of generators is not like it was 3 weeks ago as mine was the only one running last night. Just in our street alone we must have around 20 generators which when all are turned on is rather noisy and is a constant reminder of how bad the situation is.

Why are they not on as we are nearing the end of the month and possibly a lack of funds is the answer. I normally dodge one or two power cuts as $20 every day starts to eat into the budget. Something has to give at some point as this is every day and not once or twice per week.

Today was day 109 and counting with no end in sight as the problem is not going away. Reports suggest this is going to be the life until next year which is kind of unbelievable considering load shedding was first introduced back in 2007. 15 years and no one has been able to fix the problem due to incompetent governments mixed with excessive corruption and nothing else. This is another failed African State heading down the toilet all due to people being put in positions of power where they have no right to be.

A friend mentioned that at his office yesterday they had 3.5 hours of work and the rest was all lost downtime. I have seen shops in shopping centers close the doors and lock up until the power comes back on. The staff go and sit outside and do nothing which is madness.

Back on the 11th July we had already broken all previous years for the amount of load shedding experienced and every day is a new unwanted record being set. How long can the economy last under these conditions as businesses are having to cover the costs yet again. Billions are being lost daily resulting in many wondering is it all worth it and to start looking for greener pastures.

The joke back in 1994 when so many were leaving when the ANC came into power was the last one out please turn the lights out and that is no longer applicable.

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19 comments
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I looked at going solar, its still doable but the warrantees are worthless if the companys go under and there is the issue of removing it to redo the roof too.

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All valid and good points. I have no intention of staying here so I am not bothered to be honest. Currently looking at business opportunities around the world trying to put some ideas together. Best time to do this is during a recession apparently.

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Move here, lol. I think we will get our energy inflation pretty soon though, our stupid policies have destroyed our independence from energy. Food is starting to get out of hand too!

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That's pretty crazy sounding. I can't even imagine it.

So far, on the east coast of the US, we haven't had anything like that, but some of our southern states, midwest and west have had a few issues and some rolling outages, but not really for extended times. Of course the energy prices are higher than they were before, but so far, mostly still doable.

I hope you find somewhere decent to go to soon.

Long time no see !

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Yes long time no see lol. Hunting to find greener pastures and have some options but will bide my time first. Hard to just leave a business even though it is struggling currently.

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I can only try to imagine needing to leave somewhere that if things were right, you wouldn't really want to leave at all. I've seen other's stories about how terrible things have gotten. There is just no good sense in how things have turned out.

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Unfortunately most of the stories are true and the move was on the cards anyway so it doesn't really bug me. It is actually worse as I am in constant fear of my grandson and for safety reasons have to get out sooner than later. He is of mixed race with a pale complexion and is a prize for the natural medicine community. I am like a watch dog more than I was before as it is a real threat. I was going to write about it, but it is not easy and is the main reason why the move is imperative. I actually don't care where as long as he is safe.

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Oh no ! That really would be scary. I can understand the urgency in that.

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So sorry to read all these! So afraid that iam the next one who will leave a similar situation!

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Nah is is all good and part of the life experiences we all have to endure. I just don't want to get used to it as it doesn't have to be this way. A move is the only solution.

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I speak with one german friend who live in Switzerland the last 25 years and he explain me the lifestyle their! If i was to move to another country, taht would be one of my first option! If you consider and the rates of unemployment, is even more attractive!

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Yes but Switzerland is one country you just cannot move to as they protect what they have and why it is desirable.

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Sorry pal, i think like you are from a country in EU! Beside the fact Switzerland isnt in EU, it is available to visit and work there for all the European union citizen! I have a solution for you! Break in greek borders as many immigrants, ask asylum for the most crazy reason, a fail state couldn't deport you and after some year you could have legal accomodation in EU

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No worries I have British passport and can get EU passport from Irish side of my family if needed. I would be the post posh asylum seeker ever arriving in my own boat lol.

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Sláinte my friend then! Have a happy rest of weekend!

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The situation is so bad that simply talking about it makes one sound like a pessimist... but it really is that bad!

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We have to be realistic even if that is looking like being pessimistic to some. You cannot keep your head in the sand as this is seriously bad.

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