Cape Town – The Presidency has reportedly expressed concern over a ruling by the North Gauteng High Court that all public hospitals, clinics, schools and police stations be exempted from load shedding.
According to EWN, the High Court handed down the judgment on Friday, after 19 organisations and political parties, including the IFP, ActionSA, UDM, Bosa, National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa and Saftu took Eskom to court, arguing that load shedding should be declared unconstitutional.
The court found that the state breached its constitutional and statutory duties and that these breaches were infringing on citizen’s rights to healthcare, education and security, the report said.
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Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was given 60 days to implement the interim order, reported TimeLIVE.
The report said the order stated that Gordhan “shall take all reasonable steps … to ensure that there shall be sufficient supply or generation of electricity to prevent any interruption of supply as a result of load-shedding”.
But according to News24, spokesperson for the Presidency Vincent Magwenya said the government was likely to appeal against the ruling.
“We have significant concerns about the judgment and its impact on the stability of the grid and the negative effect on the fiscus. In that regard, an appeal is very likely,” the report quoted Magwenya as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
