Government is considering declaring SA’s rolling blackouts a National State of Disaster, says Ramaphosa

NEC members listen on as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the closing remarks at the ANC NEC Lekgotla at the Esselenpark Conference Centre on 30 January 2023.(Photo:ANC DIP)

By Nonkululeko Njilo

30 Jan 2023

SA’s load shedding crisis, which has been in existence for more than a decade, could soon be declared a National State of Disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested on Monday night.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has seemingly agreed to heed calls for the load shedding crisis to be declared a national disaster in a bid to end it “within a much shorter time frame than what has been projected”.

At present, 2023 is set to be worse than 2022 in terms of rolling blackouts. Experts have warned that the recovery of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations cannot be achieved in the short term and it will take at least two years to improve the energy availability factor (EAF) from the current 58% to 70%.

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the closing remarks at the ANC NEC lekgotla at the Esselenpark Conference Centre on 30 January 2023. (Photo: ANC DIP)

The crisis is so dire that Eskom considered implementing permanent Stage 2 and Stage 3 rolling blackouts to give the public more predictability, a statement it has since backtracked on.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Eskom quickly backpedals on statement on permanent load shedding for two years, hints at ‘good performance’ incentives for staff”

Closing the ANC’s four-day lekgotla at Esselen Park in Ekurhuleni, Ramaphosa said the issue of possibly declaring the energy emergency a National State of Disaster was receiving urgent attention.

Calls for the crisis to be declared a National State of Disaster were made by a number of roleplayers, including traditional leaders, community-based organisations and trade unions. The call was further aired at the party’s lekgotla held over the weekend.

“It was observed that it would be necessary to have a National State of Disaster because that would enable us to have the instruments that would be necessary to fully address the challenge that our nation faces,” Ramaphosa said.

“Work is already under way within the government to establish whether the legal requirements for the declaration of a National State of Disaster are met and what specific actions we would be empowered to undertake to urgently resolve load shedding within the framework of a National State of Disaster,” he said, as those in attendance cheered in agreement.

Ramaphosa’s remarks came after the party received presentations from representatives who shared the devastating impact of rolling blackouts on communities, small businesses and the farming sector.

NEC members listen as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the closing remarks at the ANC NEC lekgotla at the Esselenpark Conference Centre on 30 January 2023.(Photo: ANC DIP)

“The lekgotla agreed that energy security is very central to our country’s national interest, our country’s national sovereignty and national security. Without energy security, we will not be able to achieve our other developmental priorities such as building a transformed, inclusive, growing and job-creating economy,” Ramaphosa said.

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The remarks came after several politicians and businesspeople instructed a legal team from seven law firms to demand that the government stop cutting SA’s power. The group also wants fair compensation for the damage caused by rolling blackouts and for the government to play open cards about South Africa’s energy crisis.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition, John Steenhuisen, announced that he had instructed lawyers to immediately apply to the high court for an interdict to stop the tariff increase and Stage 6 rolling blackouts amid the government’s poor response to “the biggest crisis our country has faced in three decades of our democracy”.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Eskom’s rolling blackouts — 26 years of ANC meddling, manipulation and vested interests

He said the time “for writing letters and for government talk shops” and for “begging” was over — “it’s now time to take this government head-on”.

The lekgotla took place ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle.

On Tuesday, the office of the ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, is expected to brief members of the media at its headquarters, Luthuli House, on the outcomes of the lekgotla. DM

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