SA's daily scandals

 Electricity issues 

Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

Law and order and sound government, according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, won't be compromised in order to end the electricity issue in time for the 2024 election. The continuous electricity crisis is placing tremendous political pressure on the government, according to polling, and the ANC is in danger of losing its majority in the elections held the following year. The state of disaster regulations, according to Ramokgopa, wouldn't be exploited and should only be employed as a last resort if existing law forbids emergency procurement.

The new Minister's main responsibility will be to urgently lessen load shedding's intensity and frequency. The selected Minister will be in charge of all important facets of the Energy Action Plan and have political responsibility, authority, and control over how the response to the electrical crisis is managed.

This will assist in overcoming the difficulty of duty fragmentation among numerous departments and Ministers, which, while reasonable under normal circumstances, does not support a crisis response. The Minister will be responsible for facilitating the coordination of the multiple agencies and organizations engaged in the crisis response, working with Eskom leadership to improve the operation of current power plants, and expediting the acquisition of new generation capacity.

In accordance with section 97 of the Constitution, I will delegate to them certain powers and responsibilities found in the pertinent laws in order for them to carry out this work. I stated that a national state of calamity had been declared in response to the electricity crisis and its effects on the social and economic spheres.

The recently released disaster regulations give the Minister of Electricity the authority to give instructions that, among other things, exempt vital infrastructure from load shedding when it is technically possible, speed up various approvals for energy projects, and make it possible for Eskom to perform vital maintenance more quickly and effectively.

To maintain consistency in the issuance of other directives during the national state, the Minister in the Presidency for Electricity shall coordinate with other pertinent Ministers. Just as long as is required to address the electrical situation will the Minister in the Presidency for Electricity continue in position. On February 16th, during the State of the Nation Debate, Deputy President David Mabuza requested to resign from his position.