Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has requested a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa after the president missed the deadline to respond to a letter calling for a national state of disaster to be declared to better manage the response to loadshedding.
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Winde recently wrote to the president, emphasising the need for decisive action. He gave the president until Friday to respond to his letter.
“I will now request a meeting with the President, it is very unfortunate that President Ramaphosa has not at the very least noted my letter,” said Winde. “This again shows there is no urgency being demonstrated by his government.”
“Not only is loadshedding ravaging the economy but there is also the risk of food insecurity due to the devastation being brought on the agricultural sector. This has the potential to develop into a humanitarian crisis. Our citizens have every right to be angry at this situation,” he added.
In an effort to address the impact of loadshedding, Winde met with the Western Cape Energy Council on Friday to receive an update on their efforts so far and again emphasised urgency of stemming the economic devastation being caused by the energy crisis not only in the Western Cape province but in South Africa at large.
“The Council is looking at all options to make the Western Cape more energy resilient and to, over time make it become independent of Eskom,”
“The Council is looking at this crisis and identifying how to prioritise our responses as a provincial government. Short, medium, and long-term measures, as well as emergency interventions for 2023 were discussed at the energy council meeting to ameliorate loadshedding.”
He further called on his provincial cabinet to do everything in their power to solve the problem.
“While I welcome the President convening the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) last week over the energy crisis, I remain deeply concerned over the continued lack of urgency and detailed action being shown by the national government,” said Winde.
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