The South African presidency has announced the deployment of the military to guard the country’s electricity plants.
According to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman, the move was “in response to the growing threat of sabotage, theft, vandalism and corruption” at coal and diesel-powered plants.
Blackouts have become routine in Africa’s most industrialised nation but further cuts imposed recently by state-owned company Eskom have generated anger.
The cuts have cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars in lost output as well as disrupting trade and industry.
