Since South Africa is a developing state, the roles of the parastatals in stimulating economic growth and contributing to the alleviation of unemployment and poverty eradication are inevitable. South African parastatals find themselves with numerous initiatives that become projects as part of these initiatives. The projects vary from small to large capital investments. Parastatals are strategic assets that need to account for taxpayers’ funds. This thesis considers that the executed projects can add value only if there is a link to the strategic objectives. The effectiveness of this link can be established by having benefit realisation metrics. The metrics should have a process of measuring performance of projects based on strategic objectives. The thesis views projects that are executed outside strategic objectives as not viable. Without a clear process of using strategic objectives as a guide to measure success of projects, the expenditure in parastatals will remain unaccounted for, resulting in what could lead to a PFMA issue. The argument in this thesis, as well as its theoretical concept, is that the lack of strategic leadership has resulted in the challenges facing parastatals with regard to capital expansion and small projects that are executed without linking them to strategic objectives. Aggravating this situation is the blind loyalty to the PMBOK framework used by parastatals in executing projects; yet the framework has a gap regarding the knowledge areas of leadership and change management. The development of the thesis is through in-depth interviews carried out in two parastatals, namely, Eskom and Transnet. The interviews were conducted with respondents who are involved in projects, ranging from senior executives down to project administrators. The research was done in order to assess whether the projects executed in parastatals do, indeed, support strategic objectives. The effectiveness of the link between projects and strategy was based on the premise that when strategic leadership components are practised by the leadership, an execution process requiring proof of value add to the business through a link to the strategic objectives will be the basis for executing projects. The research found organisational structures that were rigid, and bureaucracy was the norm. The PMBOK framework that had been adopted was inadequate. Major findings were that most projects were not linked to strategic objectives and that there was poor strategic leadership at all levels. In view of this, there is a need to get the right leadership and have a rigorous process of ensuring that initiatives that become projects are, indeed, linked to the strategic objectives. 13

Thesis (M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

ESKOM is the Electricity Supply Commission, a South African utility company that provides electricity to South Africa. The Group's principal activity includes generation, transmission of electricity to industrial, mining, commercial, agricultural and residential customers and distributors. Eskom services a customer base well in excess of 3 million. In the past years Eskom had a few hundred thousand customers and as such had a customer service model that relied on face-to-face contact with all its customers. Customers enjoyed coming into an Eskom office for a chat when they paid their accounts, and had other electricity related queries. Five years ago their customer base had grown to approximately 3 million and it was obvious that Eskom could not continue with that model. South Africa had come out of the apartheid isolation and Eskom realised that they were very uncompetitive. Faced with this growth, improving customer satisfaction and ways to deliver service became critical questions. It became clear as well that customer acquisition and retention are important and will even be more so in a future deregulated electricity supply industry. The Group had to come with creative solutions to questions presented by these challenges. The utilization of call centres to address customer service delivery, customer satisfaction, as well as means to remaining competitive in the new millennium is the route that ESKOM has taken to address these key questions. Hence the basis for the study is to investigate the effectiveness of call centres as tools to offer service delivery and customer satisfaction. The focus of the study was located at the Shelley Beach Area Office; wherein it was apparent that the customers in this zone were not using the call centre to address their queries rather opted to visit the area office personally. The study then aimed to discover the cause of this, and how it could be curtailed, as the office was not as sufficiently equipped to deal with the vast number of queries that descended on them in this manner. The findings of the study will chart a way in unraveling the extent of the problem of people not using call centres, also will uncover the underlying factors that sustains this behaviour. It will also help in identifying what needs to be done to discourage this trend. The effectiveness of call centers has, however been found to differ between rural, urban and semi-urban areas. Call centers appeared to be more effective in urban areas, where supporting infrastructure (telephones) is readily available than in rural areas with limited access to telephones. It was noted that in rural areas mostly access to the telephone was limited in comparison to semi-urban and urban areas. Now, 7% of rural households have landline phones, up from 6% in 1994. The level of awareness of the call centre in these areas was also a point of concern. Up to 70% of people in rural areas were not aware of the existence of the call centre. In contrast to 76,8% in urban areas who were aware of its existence. Another factor, that influenced the use of call centres or lack thereof, was the degree of satisfaction, received from call centre service. Despite these concerns, the rural infrastructural development will see the increase in telecommunication in rural areas. The heightened awareness of existence of call centres and the service they provide will modify the rampant tendency of customers in Shelley Office area to descend in that office in their numbers. While the study's recommendations are not prescriptive, however they provide necessary information relevant for decisive intervention by management. It offers guidelines as to what could be done. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The recent global economic challenges have drastically impacted several economic sectors across the world. As such, Eskom, the South African electricity utility, has experienced a number of changes, ranging from the organisational structure to the functional processes or models, to meet the demands of the volatile global market. This research acknowledges that the Eskom Transmission organisation, a division within Eskom, has interrelated departmental processes. However, the transition from the conceptual phase to the execution (implementation) phase had a number of misalignments. These manifested in the following challenges, amongst others: late execution and completion of projects which often results in cost overruns; poor quality completed projects; a high number of projects at execution stage with inadequately defined scope of work which led to scope changes during implementation; and a high staff turnover, particularly of project managers. As such, the project lifecycle model was adapted to address these challenges. This research focused on the change management principles that were followed in realising the new Eskom Transmission lifecycle model, and investigated the impact that this had on the people “living” with the new model as well as the inter-departmental relations, control mechanisms, attitude towards the management, and organisational performance. Available literature on change management, as well as some aspects of organisational behaviour, such as organisational performance, were utilised to try and provide an understanding of the above-mentioned areas of interest. The chosen and most appropriate methodology for collecting data was the qualitative approach as it allowed for descriptive and extensive information gathering. The researcher sought subjective information through human interpretation. For data collection, a comprehensive questionnaire for all the stakeholder groups was used, as well as documentation analysis. The data was then analysed and interpreted, which allowed for pertinent findings and recommendations to be made. The findings included the establishment that Eskom Transmission adapted Kotter’s (1988) eight stage model in implementing its new lifecycle model. The impact of Eskom Transmission’s new lifecycle model on the people “living” with this model was found to be premature to measure. However, an improvement has been noted in the definition of the scope of work for projects, possibly owing to more effective interactions between employees during project meetings and is an indication that the new model is a contributor towards improving Eskom’s organisational performance. Further findings included inadequate stakeholder consultation, which rendered the followed implementation strategy non-optimal; as well as varied stakeholder views on the support of the new lifecycle model for Eskom Transmission’s goals and vision. The latter suggests an opportunity for Eskom Transmission management to review the lifecycle model to improve its alignment to the division’s goals and vision in order to encourage commitment levels which, amongst others, impact organisational effectiveness. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

Eskom, the sole supplier of electricity in South Africa is facing an energy crisis. This is due to the steady increase in demand for electricity in South Africa. Low electricity prices in South Africa have helped the energy intensive industries of South Africa to be more competitive. Unfortunately this has resulted in poor energy efficiency practices and has hampered incentives to save energy. To address this problem, Eskom initiated a Demand Side Management (DSM) programme. DSM is beneficial to both Eskom and the client. However, due to the high cost of implementing such projects, it is feasible to implement it only on sites where the load shift potential is high enough for Eskom to benefit. The mining industry has been targeted for DSM programmes. This is due to the existence of a large mining sector in South Africa and to its energy intensive nature. Most mining operations require large amounts of water which is used to cool the underground environment and so ensure productivity and the safety of the workers. Due to the large amounts of water needed for mining, the electricity usage of these pumping systems is very high. If the use of this electricity can be optimised by implementing DSM principles, this will result in the long term savings of costs for the mines involved. The majority of pumping systems found on mines are single shaft systems. Individually these systems have a very high DSM potential. However, if multiple shaft systems can be used for DSM, the benefits will be far greater. Furthermore, combining several sites with an interconnected water pumping system will increase the potential for DSM and enable sites where individually the potential is too low to be feasible for a DSM project to raise their potential. This will result in more sites where DSM projects can be implemented and more clients who can benefit from the DSM programme. The purpose of this study is to investigate and implement a DSM project on an intricate multi-shaft mine pumping system which will be controlled from a single point. The project required a detailed investigation of the pumping systems on each shaft and how the water system is interlinked between the shafts. This project was carried out on Beatrix Mine Shafts 1, 2 and 3. The pumping systems were analysed and simulated according to the specific constraints and requirements that were specified by the mine. During the investigation and implementation of this project, possible efficiency improvements on certain pump stations were discovered and implemented. The improvements enabled both an increase in water flow to the surface and a decrease in power consumption. Due to this load reduction, the savings achieved were higher than those found in most load shifting projects. Moreover, additional infrastructures were installed to ensure communication between pumping systems. Once the simulation and optimisation of the control system was completed, the pumping system network was automated. The load shift resulted in a ± 3.5 MW shift in the morning peak demand period and a ± 6.0 MW shift in the evening peak demand period. This load shift has resulted in an average cost saving of R 80 000 per month during summer tariff period, and R 300 000 per month during winter tariff period. This saving result was calculated by taking load reduction into account. This project has shown that a DSM project can be implemented successfully, given the necessary historical data and expertise, on a pumping system that is interconnected between multiple shafts. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

South Africa is fast approaching an era where its electrical energy demand will surpass the generating capacity of it's primary utility. The reason for this is due to the fact that over the past 10 years, the economic growth in South Africa has increased considerably and has become very energy intensive. South African electrical energy consumption is currently estimated to be growing at a rate of around 1 000 MW per year. Due to the electrical energy demand being the greatest during peak-times, Eskom has introduced various "time of use" tariff structures, such as Megaflex and Ruraflex. These two tariff structures differentiate between standard, peak and off-peak periods of the day, as well as different seasons of the year. The tariffs for these different scenarios are adjusted such that the consumers are persuaded into avoiding unnecessary electrical energy consumption during peak periods. It has been identified that electrical energy consumption can be split into two categories. One of the categories considers sectors where there are a large number of electrical energy consumers, each utilising a negligible amount of power. The other category considers sectors where there are few electrical energy consumers, each utilising large amounts of power. This therefore means that the consumers in the latter category have a great potential in implementing more efficient ways of consuming power. In order to try and control the electrical energy demand problem in South Africa, Eskom has implemented a DSM (Demand Side Management) programme in order to help the larger energy consumers in shifting their peak-time loads to off-peak periods. If the client wishes to shift their load to off-peak periods, Eskom will assist by funding all costs to carry out such a project. According to Eskom's monitoring and verification team, Eskom's DSM initiative has proven to be highly successful. Since the inception of Eskom's DSM programme in 2003, up until the end of 2005, an accumulated total load reduction of 296.3 MW has successfully been realised. At present, most water distribution schemes have been developed without making use of Eskom's DSM initiative. As these schemes consume considerable amounts of electrical energy, they are prime candidates for an initiative such as Eskom's DSM initiative. It had previously been identified that the Vaal Gamagara Water Scheme, situated in Delportshoop, was a prime candidate for Eskom's DSM initiative. Presented in this dissertation are the findings of the DSM investigation. Although the project has yet to be implemented, the proposed intervention methodology was manually tested, where a 3 MW load shift in the evening peak and a 3.6 MW load shift in the morning peak was achieved. If the current intervention methodology is maintained, the annual savings will be in the region of R 830,000.00. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Eskom, the sole supplier of electricity in South Africa is facing an energy crisis. This is due to the steady increase in demand for electricity in South Africa. Low electricity prices in South Africa have helped the energy intensive industries of South Africa to be more competitive. Unfortunately this has resulted in poor energy efficiency practices and has hampered incentives to save energy. To address this problem, Eskom initiated a Demand Side Management (DSM) programme. DSM is beneficial to both Eskom and the client. However, due to the high cost of implementing such projects, it is feasible to implement it only on sites where the load shift potential is high enough for Eskom to benefit. The mining industry has been targeted for DSM programmes. This is due to the existence of a large mining sector in South Africa and to its energy intensive nature. Most mining operations require large amounts of water which is used to cool the underground environment and so ensure productivity and the safety of the workers. Due to the large amounts of water needed for mining, the electricity usage of these pumping systems is very high. If the use of this electricity can be optimised by implementing DSM principles, this will result in the long term savings of costs for the mines involved. The majority of pumping systems found on mines are single shaft systems. Individually these systems have a very high DSM potential. However, if multiple shaft systems can be used for DSM, the benefits will be far greater. Furthermore, combining several sites with an interconnected water pumping system will increase the potential for DSM and enable sites where individually the potential is too low to be feasible for a DSM project to raise their potential. This will result in more sites where DSM projects can be implemented and more clients who can benefit from the DSM programme. The purpose of this study is to investigate and implement a DSM project on an intricate multi-shaft mine pumping system which will be controlled from a single point. The project required a detailed investigation of the pumping systems on each shaft and how the water system is interlinked between the shafts. This project was carried out on Beatrix Mine Shafts 1, 2 and 3. The pumping systems were analysed and simulated according to the specific constraints and requirements that were specified by the mine. During the investigation and implementation of this project, possible efficiency improvements on certain pump stations were discovered and implemented. The improvements enabled both an increase in water flow to the surface and a decrease in power consumption. Due to this load reduction, the savings achieved were higher than those found in most load shifting projects. Moreover, additional infrastructures were installed to ensure communication between pumping systems. Once the simulation and optimisation of the control system was completed, the pumping system network was automated. The load shift resulted in a ± 3.5 MW shift in the morning peak demand period and a ± 6.0 MW shift in the evening peak demand period. This load shift has resulted in an average cost saving of R 80 000 per month during summer tariff period, and R 300 000 per month during winter tariff period. This saving result was calculated by taking load reduction into account. This project has shown that a DSM project can be implemented successfully, given the necessary historical data and expertise, on a pumping system that is interconnected between multiple shafts. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

South Africa is fast approaching an era where its electrical energy demand will surpass the generating capacity of it's primary utility. The reason for this is due to the fact that over the past 10 years, the economic growth in South Africa has increased considerably and has become very energy intensive. South African electrical energy consumption is currently estimated to be growing at a rate of around 1 000 MW per year. Due to the electrical energy demand being the greatest during peak-times, Eskom has introduced various "time of use" tariff structures, such as Megaflex and Ruraflex. These two tariff structures differentiate between standard, peak and off-peak periods of the day, as well as different seasons of the year. The tariffs for these different scenarios are adjusted such that the consumers are persuaded into avoiding unnecessary electrical energy consumption during peak periods. It has been identified that electrical energy consumption can be split into two categories. One of the categories considers sectors where there are a large number of electrical energy consumers, each utilising a negligible amount of power. The other category considers sectors where there are few electrical energy consumers, each utilising large amounts of power. This therefore means that the consumers in the latter category have a great potential in implementing more efficient ways of consuming power. In order to try and control the electrical energy demand problem in South Africa, Eskom has implemented a DSM (Demand Side Management) programme in order to help the larger energy consumers in shifting their peak-time loads to off-peak periods. If the client wishes to shift their load to off-peak periods, Eskom will assist by funding all costs to carry out such a project. According to Eskom's monitoring and verification team, Eskom's DSM initiative has proven to be highly successful. Since the inception of Eskom's DSM programme in 2003, up until the end of 2005, an accumulated total load reduction of 296.3 MW has successfully been realised. At present, most water distribution schemes have been developed without making use of Eskom's DSM initiative. As these schemes consume considerable amounts of electrical energy, they are prime candidates for an initiative such as Eskom's DSM initiative. It had previously been identified that the Vaal Gamagara Water Scheme, situated in Delportshoop, was a prime candidate for Eskom's DSM initiative. Presented in this dissertation are the findings of the DSM investigation. Although the project has yet to be implemented, the proposed intervention methodology was manually tested, where a 3 MW load shift in the evening peak and a 3.6 MW load shift in the morning peak was achieved. If the current intervention methodology is maintained, the annual savings will be in the region of R 830,000.00. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Should Eskom and municipalities be held liable for loss resulting from load shedding? In essence, this is the question this dissertation answers or at least sheds some light on. This dissertation looks at the possibility of holding Eskom and municipalities delictually or contractually liable for loss resulting from load shedding. It does this by first discussing the delictual elements and thereafter determining whether these elements are present in the current circumstances in which Eskom and municipalities find themselves. It also looks at the relevant forms of breach of contract which may be present under the circumstances. It discusses their applicability to Eskom’s Standard Conditions of Supply for Small Supplies with Conventional Metering. It also discusses the applicability of these forms of breach to the relevant electricity supply by-laws which, in essence, provide the terms and conditions relating to the agreement for the supply of electricity between municipalities and consumers. The nature of electricity supply contracts are discussed throughout the dissertation in brief. It is found that electricity in itself is a very unique thing where the supply and sale thereof cannot be separated. The dissertation also deals with some interesting legislation which has the effect of municipalities and Eskom having to prove that they were not negligent in causing loss to consumers. Furthermore, the dissertation looks at related topics, briefly discussing class actions, pure economic loss, the “once and for all” rule, mitigation of loss, prescription, concurrent actions and possible infringement of constitutional rights. It considers the types of loss which might be claimed for as well as alternatives to instituting claims for damages. In the end, the conclusion is reached that all claims must be assessed with due regard to the circumstances surrounding each claim. It also comes to the conclusion that, in general, Eskom can be held delictually and contractually liable for load shedding. The assessed contract contains provisions which are contrary to national legislation and thus inoperative. It is, however, doubtful if such liability would succeed since courts would in all probability deny such claims for fear of opening the flood gates. It might be harder and even impossible to hold municipalities delictually liable. However, municipalities might be contractually liable as it is clear that by-laws, which regulate the supply of electricity to the consumer by the municipality, are often inoperative since these are in conflict with national legislation. This dissertation does not proclaim to provide all the answers relating to claims resulting from load shedding. It is, however, hoped that it will provide some insight into the considerations that need to be taken into account whilst raising some thought provoking questions. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Private Law / unrestricted

We are living in an era of inconceivable knowledge, skills and talent paucity as technology continue to revolutionise the world, creating new and diverse economic opportunities and changing the perception of work, its environments and the skills and knowledge demanded in organisations. This phenomenon has resulted in global competition for skilled and knowledge workers as the new world of work morphs enigmatically, leaving organisations vulnerable, and unable to deal with this complex issue. Organisational leaders are cognisant of the changes, but are grappling with the problems of managing, retaining, and creating a resilient workforce. If talent is put onto the back burner and left unattended, it has the potential to create overwhelming turmoil in the South African economy and the economies throughout the world. The global changes will impact directly on how we approach workforce challenges in the future. Today, human capital is regarded as the distinct wealth contributor and creator for economic and organisational prosperity (Meyer, 2004). Hence, Human Capital Planning is crucial for every organisation, including Eskom, to ensure that its strategic objectives are met through the effective management and utilisation of its human resources in order to maintain its competitive advantage and ensure its sustainability into the future. Globally, as well as in South Africa, various contributing factors have resulted in skills shortages throughout the energy industry. Eskom has embarked on several growth initiatives requiring additional manpower, diverse specialist knowledge and skills-sets, and a more robust pipeline of technically qualified employees across all levels in the organisation firstly, to sustain itself, and secondly to embed the transition of a high performing organisation by attracting and acquiring the right skills and talent in the right jobs (Eskom Business Plan, 2010). Human Capital Planning is therefore crucial especially for Eskom Distribution, Southern Region to ensure that its strategic objectives are met through the effective management and optimisation of its human resources, whilst simultaneously cognisant of the changing landscape both internally, viz. within the region and the broader Eskom, and externally in South Africa and the global markets.