In a televised night-time address on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country was on track to end loadshedding.
In something reminiscent of the ‘family meetings’ during lockdown, President Cyril Ramaphosa finally gave a televised address to the nation on Monday night. He took the opportunity to highlight progress and acknowledge setbacks in a number of areas, including the energy crisis.
The current year has seen the worst of South Africa’s energy crisis so far. So dire was the energy crisis that, in the first six months of 2023, there was only one day without loadshedding. By August, the cost of loadshedding to the economy sat at a hefty R1.6 trillion.
But on Monday, he declared the country was “making progress towards ending load shedding”. He attributed this to successes in the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.
“Over the last few months, there has been a measurable decline in the severity of load shedding. The Energy Action Plan that I announced in July last year is showing positive results, giving us greater confidence that we will bring load shedding to an end,” he said.
SMread: Failing or floundering? New book assesses democracy in SA
Energy Action Plan
In July 2022, Ramaphosa announced an Energy Action Plan meant to address South Africa’s growing energy demand. Based on five pillars, it aimed to fix Eskom, accelerate private investment in generation, fast-track renewables, promote rooftop solar power and “transform the electricity sector”.
The president was pleased to report back with progress on at least two fronts: private investment in generation capacity and the uptake of rooftop solar power by South African households. There was no mention of Eskom’s woes as a state-owned entity.
“Regulatory reforms we have initiated have enabled a massive increase in private investment in electricity generation, with over 12 000 MW of confirmed projects in development”.
He added, “Following the introduction of tax incentives and financing mechanisms, the amount of installed rooftop solar has more than doubled to over 4 500 MW in the last year.
“The steady progress we are making in resolving the energy crisis is a reason for hope,” he said. The president further spoke of efforts to work with the business sector in four key areas: energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and employment.
