Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office says he is taking the energy crisis seriously.
This after Western Cape Premier Alan Winde wrote to Ramaphosa to say the national government should take the energy crisis more seriously and show it was urgently addressing the problem.
“It is causing horrific damage across our economy and infringes on the fundamental rights of our citizens.
“The silence from the national government to its citizens and the other spheres of government that could be his allies in addressing this crisis is deafening,” the premier said in a statement.
“The national government, since the crisis emerged, did not attempt to provide our provincial government [nor, as far as I am aware, other provincial governments and the local sphere of government] with relevant, factual information on the extent of the crisis, its likely impact over the short-, medium- and long-term, or its plans to address it,” Winde added.
South Africa has experienced load shedding daily this year, compared to no load shedding over the same period in 2022. It was implemented every day in November and December.
Eskom announced last week stage 6 load shedding would continue until further notice.
Winde has requested a response from the president by next Friday.
Should Ramaphosa fail to respond, the provincial government said it might consider pursuing an intergovernmental dispute.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told News24: “The president is taking the energy crisis seriously as we have communicated numerous times, including the work that [the] National Energy Crisis Committee has been doing to date.”
Meanwhile, high-profile lawyers, leaders, and major groups have issued a letter of demand to Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
They are demanding load shedding should be stopped with immediate effect, and if not, an explanation of why the government could not stop it.
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