Cape Town – Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says load shedding is “unacceptable to anybody” and that the government’s efforts to end it have “nothing to do with mobilising votes”.
Speaking at Parliament’s National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, Mantashe emphasised the importance of ending load shedding.
“It irritates society. It costs the economy, and in whatever we do, we must improve the level of load shedding, reduce it and ultimately eliminate it,” News24 quoted the minister as saying.
Mantashe noted Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s Energy Action Plan, which focuses on enhancing the performance of coal stations, procuring emergency energy supply, and improving skills at Eskom, the report said.
He also highlighted the utility’s desire to increase generation capacity from renewables.
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“Our conclusion is, we need renewables for long-term sustainable supply of energy,” Mantashe was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, MyBroadband reported that DA mineral resources and energy spokesperson Kevin Mileham slammed Mantashe, saying that the minister had failed to generate private interest in the energy sector.
“The reality is that no amount of blame-shifting will hide the undeniable fact that Mantashe has, since his appointment, failed to move the needle on the procurement of independent power generation and the incentivisation of private investment in the sector,” Mileham was quoted as saying.
“Together with his ANC comrades, he has fostered policy and regulatory uncertainty, and has not moved fast enough to remove red tape impeding the active participation of independent power producers.”
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
