President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government will ensure that the Pretoria High Court judgment ordering the Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to exempt public institutions from load shedding is implemented.
The case was brought by some political parties and civic organizations, arguing that load shedding is unconstitutional and unlawful, especially when it affects public institutions.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the United Nations COP28 summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Ramaphosa said the government has noted the judgment.
“The judgment really speaks to what we want to see done. We want our schools and hospitals to have the requisite amount of energy. For us it’s confirmation of our government program,” said Ramaphosa.
He highlighted that the government’s court papers argued that the issue of energy is affecting all of society, and there would be moments when load shedding is affecting certain portions of society negatively.
He pledged that his administration would ensure that key institutions are exempted from load shedding.
“But we are going to take steps to make sure that hospitals, schools, and police stations are less adversely affected as we go on to address our energy challenges,” explained Ramaphosa.
The president said he has confidence that the current Energy Action Plan is bearing fruits and will help resolve the country’s energy challenges. According to Ramaphosa, part of the plan is the stabilisation of Eskom.
“We need to deal with the weaknesses that are inherent in Eskom. We’re making progress and as we move on to even get more qualified people, including appointing an Eskom CEO, we would be able to gain more attraction and move forward in a much stronger way,” highlighted Ramaphosa.
He said the plan is being implemented together with various stakeholders, labour, business, and government.
