The idea was that following builds would be conducted on a turnkey basis.
But the change in regime appeared to dissolve all corporate memory, and Eskom, with no senior staff experienced in building power stations, embarked on building the largest dry-cooled coal power station in the world.
The power crunch was predicted back in 1998, and the problem, when it was finally confronted nearly a decade later, should have been addressed with speed, not size. But it appears either ego or incompetence overruled logic.
Then this week it was announced that Medupi was not on track to meet its deadline of first power by the end of the year – but it did not come as a surprise to many who saw through Eskom's constant assurances and even the minister of public enterprises's bold threats.
Even if the utility does manage to supply stable power – as it is mandated to do – and fill the resulting 700MW gap in the interim, industry will stagnate until new capacity is created.
It seems hopeless. But the cogs are turning, albeit slowly. Independent power producers are moving into renewables, and procurement programmes for smaller players in technologies such as coal and gas are already in progress. That should be the focus, rather than a costly, high-risk nuclear project.