The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, remarked on the president’s cabinet reshuffle and reiterated that the country’s citizens want clarity on the energy action plan announced during the State of the Nation Address last month, as well as how it will be implemented.
He added that the newly appointed electricity minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, must be transparent about how this plan will address the energy crisis as soon as possible.
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Premier Alan Winde commented on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle announced on the evening of 6 March 2023, with a focus on the creation of a new cabinet post of electricity minister.
The premier said, “Creating a new Cabinet post of Electricity Minister will be an added drain for overstretched taxpayers. In the Western Cape Government (WCG), we have focused on bringing in technical experts to help us address the energy crisis rather than more political posts.”
He added, “We all want clarity on the energy action plan announced in the president’s State of the Nation address and, more importantly, how it will be implemented. The newly appointed Electricity Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, must be transparent with citizens and provinces on how this plan will resolve the energy crisis urgently. We are moving to make our province resilient and independent of Eskom as quickly as possible to allow our economy to flourish. As a provincial government, we are ready to work with the newly appointed minister to address the national government’s failures in dealing with the energy crisis.”
The premier expressed disappointment that Police Minister Bheki Cele retained his post.
On this issue, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said, “It is regrettable that President Ramaphosa did not use this excellent opportunity to appoint a capable and new Minister of Police to take policing into a new dimension.”
He continued, “Residents of our province, and quite frankly, across the country, are yearning for a trustworthy, reliable, fully-resourced, well-trained and professional service that will fulfil its constitutional mandate of keeping South Africans safe. The current minister has shown that he has no appetite to combat crime or create safer communities across the province. We will continue to hold the Minister and the South African Police Service (SAPS) accountable, as they cannot continue to fail the residents of the Western Cape.”
“The WCG is and will continue to work hard to address the energy crisis. This is evidenced in our allocation of R1 billion to address the energy crisis over the next three years,” Premier Winde concluded.
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