The spokesman for the presidency, Vincent Magwenya. PHOTO: Christiaan du Plessis
- presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya says that President Cyril Ramaphosa is busy finding solutions to reduce the burden.
- Ramaphosa has called for “urgency” and “speed” in the search for solutions to mitigate the loss of cargo.
- The president says he is “deeply sorry” for the loss of cargo following Eskom’s announcement that the country will move to stage 6 until further notice.
President Cyril Ramaphosa “deeply regrets” the current electricity crisis and has called for “urgency” in the implementation of the priority areas of the National Energy Plan.
This is according to the spokesman for the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, in a press conference on Thursday afternoon on the update of the Ramaphosa program.
On Wednesday, Eskom announced the disconnection of load from Stage 6 until further notice, with the power company saying this was due to faults at its power plants.
Magwenya said: “The President acknowledges the frustration of households, parents and students who have started the school year facing power outages. The devastation to small businesses and the adverse impact on the economy remains severe for the recovering economy. of South Africa”.
He said Ramaphosa is busy with “finding a sustainable solution” for the shedding of cargo.
READ | Steenhuisen asks Ramaphosa for an ‘urgent meeting’ to discuss cargo reduction
Ramaphosa had been receiving constant information about Eskom and the launch of the National Power Plan.
Magwenya said last month that Ramaphosa had convened a national energy crisis committee with ministers and various technical workflow leaders and that further engagements are scheduled for Thursday and Friday to review the situation and find “urgent measures” to address the reduction. of load.
added:
Although the president recognized some of the progress achieved in the execution elements of the National Energy Plan, he demanded more urgency and speed in the implementation of all the priority areas and actions established in the National Energy Plan.
Magwenya said that despite the ongoing load reduction, the work streams of the National Energy Crisis Committee had progressed in several areas.
These included, he said, an independent team that has been formed to diagnose challenges at power plants. The team, which includes former power plant managers, is working with Eskom’s management and board.
According to Magwenya, the team has analyzed power plants such as Kusile, Tutuka and Kriel.
READ | Nersa approves an 18.65% increase in electricity rates for Eskom
In his January 8 ANC speech in Mangaung last weekend, Ramaphosa said the removal of cargo was hurting the party’s public reputation and would be part of the ruling party’s priority in 2023. He said ending the removal of cargo was one of the party’s seven priorities.
He said the government and Eskom needed to ensure the return of additional units at the utility to clamp down on power outages. At the same time, the government also needed to implement its plans to obtain other forms of energy besides coal.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the national energy regulator approved an 18.65% power rate increase, while Eskom had asked for a 32% rate increase.
