This rural area 140km south of Johannesburg began using locally produced energy in February, mitigating the impact of up to twelve hours a day load shedding that the country has been experiencing since late last year.

But this has not been to the liking of the state-owned company Eskom, in a monopoly position, which launched a lawsuit won last month on a technical argument, forcing the approximately 6,000 inhabitants of Frankfurt to remain in the dark like everyone else.

"They can't produce enough electricity but prevent us from using the electricity we produce, it makes no sense," said Hans Pretorius, a local farmer.

An electrician inspects solar panels in Tweeling, near Frankfurt, on May 9, 2023 in South © Africa Shiraaz MOHAMED / AFP

The case, very local, highlights the frustration of many South Africans with the protracted energy crisis. The opposition even considers it emblematic of the obstacles encountered by private companies seeking to get by.

"If they don't allow us to run our solar farm or use our own electricity, we have no choice, we will have to appeal," the farmer told AFP. "It's a matter of survival."

The coal-fired power plants that supply 80% of the electricity of Africa's most industrialized country are in agony: too old, poorly maintained, their budgets diverted by corruption. They break down all the time.

A resident lights up with candles during a power cut, on May 10, 2023 in Frankfurt, South © Africa Shiraaz MOHAMED / AFP

The country has been experiencing daily cuts since the Christmas period. These scheduled load shedding, alternating by zones, cost more than a billion euros per month to the country in loss of production, according to the government.

Ubuesque and unjust

Thando Keswa, owner of a grocery store in a township adjacent to Frankfurt, was forced to suspend his takeaway sales. His generator was too expensive. "By spitting fuel, you also spit out your profits," he says disappointed.

This and many similar chronic situations have prompted local businesses and individuals to come together to invest the equivalent of some €5 million in a solar installation. Completed in December, it is operated by Rural Free State (RFS), a subsidiary of the private company that manages the distribution network for the municipality.

Thando Keswa in his grocery store on May 10, 2023 in Frankfurt, South © Africa Shiraaz MOHAMED / AFP

The additional energy allowed the distributor to start implementing its own schedule of power outages. But at trial, Eskom argued that the company had not received permission to do so.

According to Eskom, the energy produced by the panels, which was not sufficient to fully cover the city's needs, had already been taken into account in calculating the necessary load shedding levels and therefore cannot be used to reduce them.

If the local company wanted to do this, it had to use the energy it had stored as a preventive measure in batteries – which it does not currently have, argued Eskom.

If Frankfurt were allowed to bypass Eskom's shutdown schedules, others could be encouraged to do the same, which would "gravely" increase the risk of collapse of the national grid, the state-owned company argued.

Aerial view of the solar installation in Frankfurt, on May 11, 2023 in South © Africa Shiraaz MOHAMED / AFP

RFS was thus forced to turn off some photovoltaic panels to respect the planned cuts, wasting electricity that was sorely needed.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), accused Eskom of acting "like a village tyrant", protecting its monopoly. "The Frankfurt case illustrates the red tape against independent power producers."

An online petition was launched this week asking for the government's help in breaking the deadlock. "Why, despite our best efforts here, should we suffer as much as people who do nothing? Is this fair?" asked Gugu Mokoena, RFS's managing director.

© 2023 AFP