Eskom has ambitious expansion plans for the next four years, but the company's current difficulties stem from a failure by government to approve capital expenditure programmes in the late 1990s.
Defence spending is due to increase this year and next, but military experts say the Ministry of Defence's budget could fall by between 10% and 15% in real terms over the next six years if its current and capital expenditure is reduced in line with forecasts for the rest of government.