There is no quick fix for South Africa’s growth- and confidence-sapping bouts of load-shedding. The coal fleet has been run too hard for too long and maintenance neglected. South Africa’s stop-start procurement of new electricity means that the capacity needed to support stable operations amid more intensive maintenance is years away. If there is to be any hope, government – all of government – needs to set out a unified vision for system recovery, and politicians – including some Cabinet members – need to show responsible restraint, rather than trying to use the crisis for cheap politicking and power grabs. Is that too much to ask?