Independent Democrats (ID) leader Patricia de Lille accused Mbeki and his government of having ignored warnings about the crunch in electricity supplies.

"President Mbeki and his cabinet have failed the South African people," de Lille said in a statement.

"The failure to plan, despite documented warnings almost 10 years ago, to avert a national electricity crisis, has already cost our country billions of rand in lost production and tax revenue, which threatens the job security and livelihoods of millions of South Africans."

The ID, with only five seats in the African National Congress (ANC)-dominated 400-seat parliament, is unlikely to win the support of a majority but the motion is highly symbolic.

De Lille said it would be brought at the first sitting of parliament's national assembly on February 12, a few days after Mbeki's annual State of the Nation address.

The move comes as Mbeki tries to consolidate his power after losing a bitter battle against Jacob Zuma for control of the ruling ANC in December.

South Africa's government has acknowledged that rolling power cuts that have forced shutdowns of the country's largest mines and a market sell-off are a national emergency.

But apologies by officials, including Mbeki, have failed to pacify angry citizens and opposition parties.

"Our entire economy has been built around the comparative advantage of affordable and reliable electricity and the president and his cabinet have essentially destroyed that advantage through incompetence and negligence," De Lille said.

"This will have severe repercussions on our economic growth trajectory and foreign investment," she said.