Ramaphosa, ministers still 'deliberating' on load-shedding crisis

22nd September 2022 By: News24Wire

 Ramaphosa, ministers still 'deliberating' on load-shedding crisis

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa held a Cabinet meeting to discuss the country's energy crisis, he and his ministers were still deliberating on reports presented by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

The president held a scheduled Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which was expected to discuss various issues, but the country's energy crisis was the most important. 

Ramaphosa cut short his visit to the United Kingdom on Monday to deal specifically with the country's load-shedding crisis. 

The Cabinet meeting began at 08:00 but, by late afternoon, Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said the executive was still deliberating.

She said a comprehensive outline of the government's response would be provided after interventions had been mapped out. 

Williams said the government was committed to finding a solution to load-shedding. 

"Cabinet also discussed the problem of load-shedding that has disrupted the economic activities of businesses over the past week and inconvenienced households in the country.

"Cabinet expressed regret that intermittent load-shedding is happening when the government is vigorously engaged with the interventions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2022 to overcome the country's surmountable energy crisis.

"Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan today presented a briefing on the capacity of Eskom and a progress report from the Technical Committee of the National Energy Crisis Committee. The Cabinet is still deliberating on these reports, and announcements will be made following further interventions.

"Meanwhile, Cabinet remains committed to resolving the country's energy security issue and welcomes the concerted efforts made by government and stakeholders to find a permanent solution to end load-shedding," Williams said.

Ramaphosa has been under political pressure to deal with the energy crisis.

On the one hand, he has been pressured by the Economic Freedom Fighters to fire Eskom's executive for the "arrogance" which has plunged the country into load shedding.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance believes a more comprehensive approach to addressing the energy crisis is needed, and that a state of disaster be declared for Eskom.