Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has disputed that South Africa’s energy crisis is a political football ahead of this month’s general elections.
Ramokgopa was addressing a business meeting organised by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development in Durban.
He was responding to concerns by business, that the current long period of suspended load shedding could lapse after the 29th of May.
Ramokgopa cited strides made around increased power plant efficiency and the Amendment to the Electricity Regulations Act.
“It’s a fundamental repudiation of the message we have been giving that in fact the resolution of energy problem in our country is a political football. So, if the incumbent government wants to win an election, they wouldn’t have had load shedding in the first place because what that does, is it decimates industry. You design load shedding so that you can resolve it closer to an election. It’s some of the most illogical articulation I have ever heard.”
Meanwhile, Ramokgopa highlighted that the approval of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill by the National Council of Provinces this week, is expected to facilitate much-needed new power generation capacity.
“The establishment of the National Transmission Company of SA is going to make it possible for Eskom to cease to be a monopoly on the generation side. It will do a number of things. The first one is that its going to introduce competition and once it introduces competition, it means there is going to be significant technology adoption and if there is significant technology adoption, you are going to introduce greater levels of efficiency, electricity is likely going to be cheaper.”
These visits are occurring during a time when the country has experienced over 50 days without load shedding. #LeaveNoOneBehind🇿🇦 https://t.co/5MLy24Opb7 pic.twitter.com/xzo0u1EWYq
— Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa (@Kgosientsho_R) May 16, 2024
