Cape Town – Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reportedly complained to the ANC leadership about his limited powers in dealing with the ongoing issues at state utility Eskom.
He expressed frustration about not having insights into the Eskom board, claiming that only Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has such access, City Press reported, according to The Citizen.
Despite Ramokgopa’s assurances of resolving the energy crisis, questions were raised during a parliamentary session last week, about the scope and powers of the electricity minister.
The minister also raised concerns about Eskom’s challenges in sourcing power from Mozambique and Namibia.
In June, reports indicated that Eskom was set to receive an additional 1 000 megawatts of gas-fired energy from Mozambique as part of a plan to address the country’s energy crisis.
The move was aimed at stabilising the electricity grid and reducing the frequency of power cuts.
At the time, Ramokgopa held a meeting with Mozambique’s mineral resources minister Carlos Zacarias at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to secure the additional power supply.
According to SABC News, Ramokgopa said an emergency power purchasing agreement has been finalised with Mozambique.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
