Loadshedding has become a way of life in South Africa and despite promises has remained high (more often in many cases). With power plants constantly going on and off due to technical problems, poor maintenance and sabotage, consumers are being forced to live with rolling blackouts on a regular basis.
Government has been forced to throw money into the Eskom pit to try keep them operating and the lights on. Eskom needed those bailouts to try stay afloat after years of being bled dry from the inside by crooked officials and dodgy suppliers.
Another way to keep their heads above water was to look at how much they charge for electricity (especially as more people begin to generate their own power now).
A while back Eskom went to NERSA and asked for a rate increase so they could try cover costs and recover from a decade of Gupta related looting.