The crisis of energy supply to South Africa's platinum mines has caused concern over the security of jobs in the country.

According to Mike Schussler, a leading South African Economist, the energy crisis could have a lasting impact on the government's goal to have unemployment halved by 2014.

South Africa's mines form the backbones of the country's economy, employing 460,000 workers and following the closure of many of the mines the country's economy has witnessed difficult times.

Eskom has said that cutting energy supply to the mines was a temporary measure although Tony Scott, a spokesman, told IRIN that the firm could not guarantee normal power supply for the next five to eight years.

South Africa's economy must grow by at least six per cent annually to keep unemployment from rising above the official estimate of 25 per cent.

But as a result of the energy crisis, Mr Schussler believes that economic growth could drop to three per cent this year.

Source:

South Africa: A Jobs Blackout? 28/01/08
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801281459.html

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