Cape Town — Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the withdrawal of the National State of Disaster on Electricity will have no impact on the ministry’s work going forward.
The government announced on Wednesday that it has terminated with immediate effect, the National State of Disaster on Electricity declared by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) on 9 February 2023.
The government had labelled the State of Disaster a necessary response to the impact of critical levels of load shedding on the economy and vulnerable sectors such as health and small businesses.
“The Minister of Electricity continues to be seized with that responsibility of reducing the severity of load shedding and its regularity. That’s why we have done extensive visits to the power stations of Eskom. We have got a better understanding at the granular level of what… it takes for us to be able to respond comprehensively.
“[The State of Disaster and the Electricity Ministry] were meant to help us accelerate our efforts to deliver, in accordance with the Energy Action Plan. The Minister of Electricity continues to execute and prosecute those responsibilities as determined by the President,” Ramokgopa said.
He assured South Africans that the withdrawal of the National State of Disaster will not stop the government’s plans to procure new electricity generation.
[Read] Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says the withdrawal of the National State of Disaster on Electricity will have no impact on the ministry’s work going forward https://t.co/bQBD21EIf5 @Kgosientsho_R pic.twitter.com/WbpKFIpqj6
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) April 5, 2023
“The fact that we are terminating the State of Disaster does not degrade our ability to accelerate the delivery of new generation. We can draw from the provisions of the Infrastructure Development Act. We designate those strategic integrated projects and we are able roll them [out].
“What we know… from an Eskom point of view is that the PFMA [Public Finance Management Act] does make provision… If there are issues around emergencies and if as a result of inaction, we are likely to see loss of life, harm to the environment. The PFMA does provide for us to use provisions on procurement on an emergency basis. There are provisions that allow for deviations and [some of] those deviations address… for example harm to critical infrastructure.
“Those provisions from a procurement point of view are made possible in the PFMA and therefore, the termination of the State of Disaster has no impact on that,” Ramokgopa said.
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Government ends State of Disaster on electricity
Cape Town — The government announced on Wednesday that it has terminated with immediate effect, the National State of Disaster on electricity declared by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) on 9 February 2023.
The government labelled the State of Disaster a necessary response to the impact of critical levels of load shedding on the economy and vulnerable sectors such as health and small businesses.
The state of disaster enabled the government to enhance interventions by the National Energy Crisis Committee in terms of the Energy Action Plan.
Aims of the interventions in the Energy Action Plan:
- Fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply.
- Enable and accelerate private investment in generation capacity.
- Accelerate procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage
- Unleash businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar.
- Fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security.
The government has credited the new Minister of Electricity Kgosientso Ramokgopa with being a significant enabler of the improvement in the supply of electricity.
“The minister has in recent weeks undertaken oversight visits to power stations and consultations within government, including with Eskom, to identify and resolve electricity supply constraints.
As a structure that integrates areas of responsibility and resources within government, the National Energy Crisis Committee provides support to the minister in the identification and resolution of bottlenecks,” it said.
The disaster declaration was published in Government Gazette No. 48009 in Notice No.3019 in terms of Section 27(5)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 57 of 2002 as amended.
Following the termination of the state of disaster, all regulations and directions made in terms of Section 27(2) of the Act pursuant to the declaration of the national state of disaster to deal with the impact or the severe electricity supply constraint are repealed with immediate effect.
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
