Cape Town – Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has said that load shedding in South Africa began in 1997, and the blame for the current crisis should not be placed on those currently managing Eskom.
According to EWN, Ramokgopa told Members of Parliament on Wednesday that it was inappropriate to pinpoint any individual for the load shedding crisis.
He said that his primary focus was on finding solutions to the problem.
“The suggestions that the challenges of load shedding only start now, I think, is a misrepresentation. They stretch back to 1997 and some of the choices that we have made have caught up with us,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
He added: “And I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that load shedding coincides with the appointment of certain members of the executive.”
The minister also told the portfolio that load shedding was a critical issue with significant economic and social implications, necessitating immediate intervention.
Ramokgopa said that the South African economy could be losing up to R1 billion a day due to load shedding, leading to the potential loss of over 800 000 jobs in the current year.
He highlighted the urgent need for intervention.
“This is severe. The amount of jobs that have been lost as a result of load shedding are projected to be upwards of 800 000 just for the current year, if you were to go by the modelling that has been done by some of the reputable institutions.
“I’m trying to convey the message that we are dealing with a major problem that undermines the overall growth of the South African economy,” he said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
