Nick Hedley | Load shedding hiatus is lucky timing for the ANC – but not engineered

The obvious theory is as elections approach, the ANC is forcing Eskom to burn diesel at a blistering pace to keep the lights on and boost its chances at the polls. But the data actually doesn't support this, says Nick Hedley.

Something strange has been happening in South Africa in recent weeks. Since late March, we've had an uninterrupted supply of electricity – as in, all day, every day.

And while all of us are grateful for the reprieve, we're naturally sceptical. Some 16 years after first being introduced to the joys of load shedding, having access to electricity whenever we need it seems too good to be true.