Even though Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the newly appointed minister of electricity, is confident in the government’s plans to end loadshedding, he is not yet ready to say when this goal will be reached.
Also read: Ramokgopa urges patience as he implements existing energy plan
News24 says that in an interview with SABC on Thursday night, Ramokgopa said that fixing loadshedding is the most important thing, but he warned against making arbitrary guesses about when it will end. He emphasised that it is irresponsible to make such claims without proper consideration and planning.
Ramokgopa said, “Load shedding, and I want to emphasise [this] on national TV we are going to resolve it… [but] it is highly irresponsible to just shoot from the hip and say this date, that date.”
According to Ramokgopa, he intends to collaborate with several individuals, including Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, other Cabinet members, municipalities, and business leaders, to find a solution to loadshedding. He plans to provide an answer to the public once this collaboration is completed.
During the interview, host Samkele Maseko asked Ramokgopa if he would fix the problem of load shedding before the general elections in 2024 so that the ANC wouldn’t say he had failed. In response, he stated that he would not take an “expedient” approach and make false promises regarding loadshedding.
“We are going to be ambitious, [but] we are going to be realistic. Some of things I will be saying to the general public will be unpalatable. I am sure everyone listening to you wants me to say ‘on X date load shedding will be done’. I am saying give me an opportunity … we will come back to you, ” said Ramokgopa.
Ramokgopa refused to talk about politics when asked about his relationships with important ministers and the debate about whether or not his new ministry was needed. He said that he had already talked to his coworkers, and they all agreed that their main goal should be to figure out how to stop loadshedding.
In an interview with eNCA in February, former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said that he had told a member of the Cabinet about corruption and sabotage at Eskom involving high-level politicians. Later, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan told Newzroom Afrika that De Ruyter had talked to him. He also said that the former CEO had not given any proof to back up his claims.
During the interview on Thursday, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said that he did not have the power or resources to deal with corruption. Instead, he emphasized that law enforcement agencies must be involved to resolve such problems.
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Picture: Kgosientsho Ramokgopa / Facebook