Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has been appointed Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / African News Agency (ANA)
As South Africans return to work fresh from a load shedding-free public holiday, the first without rolling blackouts since October 2022, the country’s new Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has been on a tour of the state-owned energy utility Eskom’s power stations.
On Wednesday, Ramokgopa said that the country’s problem of load shedding would be resolved.
“We are in this together. The problems with load shedding will be resolved,” Ramokgopa said while speaking at the Kusile power station in Mpumalanga.
“The problem of load shedding will be resolved. Ultimately, the problem of electricity in this country will also be resolved,” Ramokgopa said.
Ramokgopa told Kusile power station senior management that government would assist where possible to end load shedding.
“We have committed men and women with skills at Eskom. From the discussions we are having with Eskom, it is clear that the problem of load shedding will be resolved,” Ramokgopa said.
Ramokgopa said the problem is not with corruption but more on the technical side.
“The problems and challenges that we have here are technical problems. They have nothing to do with so-called corruption,” he said.
Ramokgopa said he intends taking the public into his confidence about resolving the country’s energy crisis.
“We will be honest and transparent on where we are in relation to the resolution of this problem. We will communicate that to the general public,” Ramokgopa said.
During his visits to the power stations, Ramokgopa interacted with senior management and the workers.
During the briefing sessions, Ramokgopa was briefed about Kusile’s operations, challenges and programmes put in place to address the challenges.
Kusile power station is the second largest coal-fired power station in the world.
BUSINESS REPORT