the defeat of the jing dynasty and the do opium wars lead to the transformation of the celestial empire into a semi colony of european states and started its age of humiliation. and the sale of opium took on colossal proportions and led to the horrible deaths of millions of ordinary chinese. ah, ah ah, i'm rick sanchez and i'm here to plead with you whatever you do. do not watch my new show. seriously. why watch something that's so different, my little opinions that you won't get anywhere else. look, if it pleases you to have the state department, the cia weapons, bankers,

multi $1000000000.00 corporations. choose your fax for you. go ahead. change and whatever group don't watch my show, stay main street because i'm probably gonna make you uncomfortable. my show is called direct impact, but again, you probably don't want to watch it because it might just change to wayne thing for the term strategic autonomy. sounds good. the word strategic conjures up a sense of importance and autonomy presents a sense of independence. but when you consider the french president using this term, then we are forced to wonder if he is a serious person, after all, europe is no longer strategic or autonomy ah, [000:00:00;00]

ah, ah no, not again dies how we're going to get this weeks african now. so to air, welcome to this week's african now show in which we investigate why africa has most developed economy relying on color on its neighbors, south africa, a country which in resources and technology increasingly finds itself in the dark and the biggest energy crisis. it's a face level where are you?

hi, paula. i'm yeah, and these are 2 hattiesburg head offices. i do have with me a few of our colleagues, and unfortunately we just had a power outage. but lucky for us, we do have a generator that should be kicking in very soon. the very unfortunate part about all of this is that only 2 percent off of africans have generated the risks of the country continue to stay in the darkness with no lights, no power, no war during these low shading days. and because we do have a generator in the company, it's just taking in very soon they have it there. go with the power for us, that civilian fortunate part for the rest of the country. these are the nice streets of 200 burg. when not only is their power crisis, but also an increase in crime, making the city the world's crime, capital, south africa, deteriorating, national electricity, good is come, can no longer accommodate the demand of

a population of 60000000 people. last year was the worst on record with $205.00 days of voting. blackouts as aging coal fired power plants broke down. and s. com struggle to find the money to buy diesel for emergency generators that were called look said to be beaten as every day this year. they have been, our teachers are correspondent, new valiant, and coon gay gives an overview of how south africans are at they. what's in so the offer is if a worsening power prices in which homes and businesses spend more than 10, i was without electricity is starting to jungle africa. the most developed economy no setting is going is too bad cause fasting. we are well lost our profit then our fries are not working. so when electricity is gone, like we can do anything, sometime we close early, then have to wait for electricity,

then we have to come in open and close 9 o'clock so. so is pick his take like too much time in like yagi, lossing, of a profit. and i specially, the generator is ian, you can see every time, maybe 2 or 3 times view on generator. we buying petro like every day, $506.00, and the trend and death of a profit. the streets of johannesburg have gotten quite intense and become more difficult to navigate on a daily basis as a result of these traffic lights that are not working as eyes. but the guy with the traffic lights are not working are really a problems they also feeding into the crime. in this country of our did we get robbed of our positions a deal, and we get to work and other places linda, very late. you find yourself having to leave 2 hours before i just get to your place. you become defeated because of something you can solve within a minute. it's something you can solve within

a week. we don't know how long is this situation going to last us? how much can our economy take out of this? this situation is really affected as to a great extent. so that we, you know, we, we, we, we are left with the options of i don't wanna look at other avenues and stuff. so yeah, it really did affect us to a great extent. was it okay, are we did look at the, you know, hiring generators and opting for things like, you know, maybe rescheduled booking stuff or perhaps take it to another will show was something that really did affect our business flow. we have a will show, but we can even in a week. yeah. because of her in the loo shitting stuff. so yeah, i'm actually thinking of closing the down the windshield is not african energy prices has gotten so bad that it's now become a major crisis that needs to be solved as soon as possible. and unless the major

plans are put in place, analyst and experts say the next 5 years could become a disaster. for r t r, no low, we couldn't get into highness where this is cost in south africa. $61000000.00 us dollars a day. this year it's already amounted to $13000000000.00 to date. and surprisingly, the south african phase of the year is load shading, which describes the never ending rolling blackouts. just like people in other parts of the world. check the weather. south africans check their phones to see the eskimo scheduled blackouts. so they can plan when 2 bath went to cook and went to church. they phones. there is no reason whatsoever for south africa to continue to endure the economically catastrophic and financial arena's power cuts, otherwise known or referred to as load city. was this power cards? not only are they unwarranted, but they are actually avoidable. but we needed to have taken steps a few years ago. for example,

south africa got over $47000.00 megawatts of install capacity, which is based on fossil fuel, which is cold. no cold is to south africa, what oil is to the saudis, or what gas and oil is to the russians. we therefore should treat it in the same air way. and unless we can really harness to the full potential, our cold resources, i can see how we're going to get out of this if, if anything, we are risking the imminent total collapse of the electricity grid with result of the rolling play that we are enduring. because the generation system as well as the grid, we're not designed for exactly the situation that we find ourselves in. but there's no ending fight in the initial order of time purely because the government does a lot of ineptitude. there's a lot of lethargy,

not really knowing what to do next. and every day that they delayed to take the correct decisions. it just means that the situation is getting more and more dia, we are getting into the winter months. and the total collapse of the grid fate is immune and the irony is white. next to south africa is a country with much less infrastructure, but no power disruptions. i visited northern mozambique, which is home to one of the biggest hydro electric schemes in africa. one come to what locals called the pride of moses and beek. you have here. africa was a 4th largest man made dead, and it is known as the whole. vasa, hydro electric plan, cohort bus. and one of the local most be can languages means finished the job. probably a leading to the fact that the project began in the 960 by the portuguese, and took some 15 years to complete. it includes

a variety of electrical infrastructures that both generate, produce, transmit, and commercialize. now you see a natural, gorgeous, so you have the mbc river coming down from this direction and on either side you have these parallel slopes that come down into a kind of the shape over there are these police gates. and once those are opened, the water floods through turning the turnstiles and the turbines, which in turn generates electricity. and that electricity is used here in most and be can also neighboring countries. like some bob and south africa. not think about this. it generates $530.00 killer watts of electricity that travel, 1400 kilometers to the south african border where they picked up by the south african electrical grid is come and those parallel lines are known as

a z us and pillar. that is an important source of electricity for south africa. and not only is this project used to provide electricity, but it's an important source of income for the local community. a town has sprung up here on the banks of the whole robust sedan. so one of the important hydro electric plants in africa, in fact, the 2nd largest one that there is 2075 megawatt in capacity. second just to gauge if she did give me one day amber, which is about 2100. i think that the more them because one is bigger, but yet when you look at the huge amount of potential and capacity that he has to power was a big deal is, is the price of muslim big. but it's also the price of static because it's the largest in the static, we just need to get to do more we did was i'm be, can be a game changer. but investments need to go in because what's going to happen is that there is

a $100000000.00 when project. those are proved by the asking one and bang on the same hydro power dam that can really power and really in cruise capacity and move and move fast. that's good, but that's not going to be enough. they have the power of bond and natural gas that has been shipped to europe to pi europe by this time when we have an energy crisis right down in south africa and inside it, we could use that gas right right there. to drive off some of the stopped up south . saul is doing tro, macola under room. cool. pod down. so you and your uncle pipelines. so you are going to see gas coming in. the sticks are problems right now, but also in the south africa, par pool that plays a big role with the massive advanced deposits or the city, natural gas. and also in hydro power, we just need to channel india investments right here because most i'm big on. fortunately does not have or the finances to be able to deal with the energy

infrastructure issues that are needed to move this power into the into house are in african region. expediently south africa is seen em, chronic electric shortages, especially lucere. oh, the biggest hydro electric steam in africa finds its home in south africa's northern neighbor zimbabwe. built in the early sixty's. it has in the past been a reliable supplier of electricity. that recently ran into problems with low water levels from trout. with alfred, southern african countries would be in more trouble than what they already are. good about gym was constructed in the 1950s, probably in 50 because it wasn't supposed to provide energy security for but not didn't. so didn't audition. so it is bins um put in a position where by it was going to generate over 3000 kilowatts for what countries thereby alleviating in shortages in southern africa as well. so carry by the very important aspect to when it comes to energy notation,

because we're talking of hydra, which is with less carbon footprint. that co, i think if the russians rental come and invest in energy sickens and what they need to look at a renewable energy is as of the energy, you can tell that a symbol is what a little now was in terms ofa in sunlight provision there be i think the greatest um initiative should come for for, for renewable image. i think that the district i of course um i'd res will in it. we rehabilitate m. carry by them because i it is one. it's a bit old. it's new to rehabilitation and also it is shown that it's inefficient, can affect her image provision for southern africa in somebody in particular. unfortunately i think liquid investment and investment for years it since but with some of exposed not only to the challenges at the hydro or one gate cutty but. but also you look at the one to be $7.00 and $8.00 with the rent and may go from the expansion 7 and possibly the same amount from 8. we certainly don't think it's something which will solve the challenges. given the deputy or gap between we put

up production in the demand of the industry and where they need to be good. they look at the industry growth at the moment. also, we don't think the image will capacitance at the moment in the next light is will be able to decide the demand, which we have. unfortunately, nearly 600000000 people in sub saharan africa without electricity, especially in rural areas where infrastructure doesn't exist. the worst is in south sudan will be 7 percent of people have access to electricity. by comparison, shanicea is the best in providing 100 percent of its population with power belonging to thank you for joining us. i think it's only fitting that we start with the foundation and you just telling us what exactly is so broken within the african continent. unfortunate that when you look at africa, you can basically split it's sort of between north and the south. if you look at north africa, they more than adequately supplied with it. with electricity,

you're looking at the transportation rate of above 95 percent. then you basically have the risk of sub saharan africa, which for some other reason, you know, finds itself in a, in a situation where more than 600000000 of its inhabitants do not have access to electricity. you too, need to have sufficient electricity supply, stable electricity supply, and you do need to insure energy security in order to grow an economy. and what will it take to power african countries paths? it's very simple, political will nothing more, nothing live. now from the bubble way, they start to use seeing electricity and being active only at night to nigeria. we all of this has become a norm and not to mention where we are in south africa. this is a crisis. and do you think that this has now become some sort of human rights issue? you know, if you look at what has been happening around africa, especially around in n g,

i would certainly say the is an issue there. it looks at me preaching the constitution. in the case of south africa, it's really at a point where nobody truly understand why african leaders are okay with a situation of this nature. why is it okay to have electricity off for 20 hours a day? why is it ok to power the largest economy in africa? which is nigel area using generators, yet not too far from the on the other side of the continent. you have egypt, 2nd largest economy. and they have electrification of about 98 percent. and i'm really happy that you mentioned some of the worst and best performing countries within the continent. because if you take a look at to nice. yeah, and salt sedan, what do you think is too needed doing that song to them could pad do as well? well, to news is like he in that it finds itself in

a brotherhood of north african nations where they deliberately work together. they also have shared resources. so to new year for instance, primarily uses natural gas oven. 97 percent of the installed capacity comes from gas gas that they've sourced from way of area. if you look at egypt, toys, and since they use gas, they also use oil oil that they've source from libya. so they have a brother who they be using for their beta hood in their own advancement and on that renewable energy narrative. and it was a lot of promises during the up to, to san fran summit. and amidst all governments within the african continent had to come back to the countries and ponder how exactly to deal with the shortage of electricity and power. do you think that african governments should continue pigging the hopes onto these width and enrich countries?

or should they start off to look for alternatives? you know, one of the telling things around comp 20 says was how poor nations around the world, particularly africa, as well as small island developing states or the courses. when to come up with these great hopes and you know, initiatives especially around funding obtaining funding for adaptation mitigation that they required there is about $300000000.00 shortfall of funding for african nations as well as small islands. and this is on an annual basis. and specifically looking at so that's what do you think got of here? because is it corruption? is it low infrastructure or just no investment within that victor? so for some africa, it is a myriad of issues that started let me see in about 2006 already we'll do a grid issues in the northern cape in the western cape. and this, of course,

in escalated to the rest of the country. we launch shading, ernest started in 2008. at the time there was a deficit between supply and demand. we had too much, or you know, excessive demand at the time which exceeded about $37000.00 megawatts. whereas supply had not reached that point. at that juncture, the politicians in charge had mandates and they had a mandate from 10 years prior for about $1087.00 to actually build new capacity. and they chose not to do anything over the years. there's been general miss miss management on those projects. there's been a crash and they were design flaws, bringing us to a point we even in 2023. we've got 3 units out currently at sea as a result of a design flaw. alternately and in terms of progress is how progress of do you think african governments are in trying to fix the energy crisis within the continent?

african governments not has progressive if you are the most african government, even in south africa. so what their plans are, they'll tell you about random ideas, concepts that they have, but nothing actionable. they are no 20 or 30 year plans. however, if you go and you speak to europe, he and leaders and you speak to the u. k, the us, china, and you asked him what their plans for africa. they're very detailed. they know exactly what they want out of africa. they knew exactly what they want to sell to africa. they know what the pro robert has is for the african continent, but our leaders don't seem to have an idea for what we should be doing and what we should look like in order to ensure an issue security. so the challenge is clear now for the solution, more and more african countries are looking for sustainable options. one of them being nuclear power and partnerships in the east rather than the waste because of

sustainability and cost. one of these solutions has already been tabled by russia