Since the start of the year, sentiment has soured over the intensification of load-shedding, coupled with punitive electricity tariff hikes. Given the government’s failure to show that it has the problem in hand, economists are beginning to lower their growth forecasts.
While the initial focus has fallen on the dire short-run costs of severe load-shedding — for example the North West farmer who is suing government for R1.5m after about 50,000 of his chickens succumbed to the heat — the longer-term economic implications are as worrying...