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AfrElec POLICY AfrElec

South Africa declares ‘state of disaster’ due

to energy shortage

SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has coal-burning plants and frequent breakdowns
pledged to create a ministry of electricity after have since 2007 hampered power supply in Afri-
declaring a 16-year energy shortage in his coun- ca’s otherwise most-developed economy.
try a state of disaster. The central bank recently projected that there
He announced the robust measures in a state will be 200 days of load shedding in the coun-
of the nation address on Thursday (February 9) try in 2023. As a result, the economy will likely
evening, saying that persistent electricity ration- grow by only 0.3%, not by 1.1% as previously
ing, known locally as load shedding, is impeding estimated.
economic recovery. The South African economy, according to
Ramaphosa said that, over the past six local paper BusinessTech, loses about $50mn The South African
months, his government has improved the per- daily due to erratic power supply.
formance of coal-fired facilities that produce “To deal more effectively and urgently with economy loses
80% of the country’s electricity, has been reskill- the challenges that confront us,” Ramaphosa
ing the public utility Eskom, and is finalising a said, “I will appoint a minister of electricity in about $50mn
strategy to resolve the company’s $24bn debt. the presidency to assume full responsibility for daily due to
He said the government is providing Eskom overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis
more resources so that it may to import some response, including the work of the national erratic power
300MW of electricity from the region and is pro- energy crisis committee.”
moting the contribution of independent power The minister will focus full-time and work supply.
producers (IPPs). with the Eskom board and management on end-
“In a time of crisis, we need a single point of ing load shedding and ensuring that the Energy
command and a single line of march,” Rama- Action Plan is implemented without delay, he
phosa said of the move to create a new ministry. said.
“Just as we address the cause of the crisis, we Meanwhile, the main opposition party, the
also need to address its impact. The crisis has Democratic Alliance (DA), said it has instructed
progressively evolved to affect every part of soci- its lawyers to challenge Ramaphosa’s actions in
ety. We must act to lessen the impact of the crisis court.
on farmers, on small businesses, on our water “The DA is already in court to declare the
infrastructure and our transport network. Disaster Management Act unconstitutional and
“The National Disaster Management Centre we will now do the same to prevent the ANC
has consequently classified the energy crisis and [Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress
its impact as a disaster. We are therefore declar- party] looting frenzy that will follow Ramapho-
ing a national state of disaster to respond to the sa’s dangerous and desperate announcement like
electricity crisis and its effects.” night follows day,” it said in a release on Thursday
Rising demand, dependence on old, night.™
President Ramaphosa
declares national state of
disaster

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 07 15•February•2023