Socialism is a political and economic ideology aiming to create a society where all members distribute resources and wealth equally. It is based on the belief that resources should be owned and controlled collectively rather than by individuals or corporations and that the means of production should be publicly owned and managed.

BRICS is an acronym that refers to the grouping of five major emerging economies in the world: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This grouping has become a significant force in the global economy, influencing international policies and shaping the world's future. The BRICS countries have a combined population of over 3 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $16 trillion, making them influential players in the global economy.

The History of BRICS

Following on from Part 1, this article seeks to analyse some of the historical and present dynamics bedevilling ESKOM. Over the past twenty years, ESKOM’s systems have been under severe strain due to technical and organisations failures. ESKOM has attempted to grapple with their supply issues through investment in Kusile and Medupi, two large coal fired power stations which by 2022 are still not functioning to their capacity.

This short history of Electrical Supply Commission (ESKOM) aims to provide an overview of the history of the power utility over its first seventy-eight years. The significance of these dates is as follows: ESKOM was started in 1923 by the government and prominent industrialists and by 2001 it was a state-owned enterprise. During the abovementioned period, ESKOM had several feats and failings. This article endeavours to extract some lessons/reflections for the present from ESKOM’s past.