Post by @mybroadband
83% credible (88% factual, 72% presentation). The post accurately reports Eskom's diesel spending in 2025 to prevent load shedding, supporting de Ruyter's claims. However, it omits critical context of reduced diesel dependency due to improved plant performance, resulting in an incomplete narrative.
Analysis Summary
The post highlights Eskom's continued expenditure of billions in diesel to maintain power supply, directly supporting former CEO André de Ruyter's assertions about the role of diesel in averting load shedding. This substantiates de Ruyter's claims amid ongoing high diesel costs, though Eskom reports broader improvements from maintenance and reduced reliance. Recent data shows over 300 days without load shedding, but at a significant financial cost primarily from diesel use.
Original Content
The Facts
The statement aligns with reports of Eskom's substantial diesel spending in 2025 to prevent blackouts, validating aspects of de Ruyter's earlier warnings; however, it omits Eskom's counter-evidence of decreased diesel dependency through generation recovery and maintenance efforts. Mostly Accurate but Contextually Incomplete.
Benefit of the Doubt
The post advances a perspective sympathetic to André de Ruyter, framing Eskom's diesel use as proof of his foresight on the utility's operational challenges and criticizing current management indirectly. It emphasizes the financial burden of diesel to underscore de Ruyter's vindication, while omitting Eskom's achievements in reducing diesel expenditure by billions through improved plant performance and new capacity additions, which shapes reader perception towards viewing load shedding relief as unsustainable and diesel-dependent rather than a sign of systemic progress. This selective framing may amplify skepticism about Eskom's long-term stability.
How Is This Framed?
Biases, omissions, and misleading presentation techniques detected
Fails to mention Eskom's reduced diesel expenditure through improved plant performance and new capacity, presenting diesel use as the sole or primary sustainer of power supply.
Problematic phrases:
"continues to burn diesel worth billions""substantiating... claims"What's actually there:
decreased diesel dependency by billions via maintenance and generation recovery
What's implied:
ongoing high diesel costs as proof of unresolved issues
Impact: Leads readers to perceive load shedding relief as entirely diesel-dependent and unsustainable, amplifying doubt in Eskom's long-term stability and fully vindicating de Ruyter without nuance.
Omits broader context of over 300 days without load shedding due to multiple factors beyond diesel, creating an incomplete picture of operational improvements.
Problematic phrases:
"to keep the lights on"What's actually there:
relief from load shedding via maintenance, not just diesel
What's implied:
diesel as the key factor preventing blackouts
Impact: Misleads readers into believing current stability is precarious and solely reliant on expensive diesel, fostering undue pessimism about Eskom's recovery.
Implies direct causation between diesel burning and lights staying on, and between diesel costs and full substantiation of de Ruyter's claims, without evidencing exclusivity.
Problematic phrases:
"to keep the lights on""substantiating... claims"What's actually there:
diesel as one factor among maintenance and capacity additions
What's implied:
diesel as primary cause and complete validation
Impact: Readers infer a stronger causal link and broader validation than warranted, exaggerating de Ruyter's foresight and downplaying other contributions to stability.
Highlights 'billions of rands' in diesel costs without comparing to prior years or total budget, inflating perceived magnitude.
Problematic phrases:
"burn diesel worth billions of rands"What's actually there:
diesel costs reduced from previous peaks despite still high
What's implied:
escalating or unchecked massive spending
Impact: Exaggerates the financial strain, leading readers to view costs as disproportionately burdensome without scale for progress.
Sources & References
External sources consulted for this analysis
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/616407-andre-de-ruyters-claim-haunts-eskom.html
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/824595/andre-de-ruyters-damning-claim-about-eskom-becoming-reality/
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/103641/eskom-proves-andre-de-ruyter-wrong/
https://iol.co.za/news/energy/2025-01-28-eskoms-r10-billion-diesel-splurge-300-days-without-load-shedding-comes-at-a-cost/
https://www.eskom.co.za/the-suspension-of-loadshedding-has-surpassed-the-250-day-mark-resulting-in-year-on-year-diesel-savings-of-r16-99-billion/
https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/eskom-to-procure-emergency-additional-energy-on-monday/
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/536159-eskom-load-shedding-war-andre-de-ruyter-versus-mteto-nyati.html
https://thesouthafrican.com/news/eskom-load-shedding-what-load-shedding
https://cufafestival.co.za/eskom-announces-14-hour-load-shedding-across-all-provinces/
https://engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskom-bolstering-efforts-to-end-load-reduction-2025-10-24
https://htxt.co.za/2025/10/eskom-sets-deadline-for-ending-load-reduction-of-1-7-million-people
https://greenbuildingafrica.co.za/eskoms-14-peaking-power-stations-key-to-stabilising-grid-and-preventing-loadshedding
https://eskom.co.za/eskom-steps-up-plans-to-end-load-reduction-increase-free-basic-electricity-registration-and-protect-revenue
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/102941/eskoms-r24-billion-magic-that-ended-load-shedding/
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1826654014827561129
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1799759042031517790
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1657641638049759232
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1628349117452656641
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1730278251363238213
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1439091885814030344
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/616407-andre-de-ruyters-claim-haunts-eskom.html
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/103641/eskom-proves-andre-de-ruyter-wrong/
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/556814-eskom-silences-andre-de-ruyter.html
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/820890/andre-de-ruyters-comment-about-eskom-becoming-true/
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/824595/andre-de-ruyters-damning-claim-about-eskom-becoming-reality/
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/61303/eskoms-r10-billion-boost-a-blow-to-andre-de-ruyter/
https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/eskom-proving-andr%C3%A9-de-ruyter-wrong.1299829/
https://ewn.co.za/2025/10/28/eskom-targets-2027-to-end-load-reduction-nationwide
https://witness.co.za/news/2025/10/20/power-system-stable-as-sa-nears-six-months-of-no-load-shedding/
https://engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskom-bolstering-efforts-to-end-load-reduction-2025-10-24
https://eskom.co.za/eskom-steps-up-plans-to-end-load-reduction-increase-free-basic-electricity-registration-and-protect-revenue
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/100886/eskom-promises-no-load-shedding-for-south-africa/
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/103641/eskom-proves-andre-de-ruyter-wrong/
https://dailyinvestor.com/energy/102941/eskoms-r24-billion-magic-that-ended-load-shedding/
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1826654014827561129
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1799759042031517790
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1628349117452656641
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1439091885814030344
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1963257480554688674
https://x.com/mybroadband/status/1657641638049759232
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