Cape Town - Mineral Resources and Energy and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe emphasised that his department remained intact after the president’s Cabinet reshuffle and looked forward to working with the new Electricity Ministry to see the end of load shedding.
At the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town on Tuesday, Mantashe said he believed Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the newly elected Minister of Electricity, was capable of the task bestowed on him; his appointment was a step in the direction of resolving the energy crisis.
Mantashe said rather than overlap with other departments, the electricity ministry would complement the work of the departments of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and Public Enterprises (DPE).
“Eskom has been an energy matter, but it has never reported to DMRE. It has always reported to the DPE. If a new minister is appointed to focus on load shedding and Eskom, there will be a few overlaps, but more areas of complementarity,” Mantashe said.
The minister said the source of load shedding was mainly the low energy availability factor (EAF) at Eskom’s various power plants. Therefore, the focus would have to address that issue.
On Monday President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Ramokgopa amid the energy crisis to focus on resolving load shedding by overseeing the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.
After being sworn in on Tuesday, Ramokgopa said: “We are not introducing a new plan, there is an existing energy action plan. All I’m assigned to do is to see to the delivery of this plan within the time-frames we have committed ourselves to … Now I have to be at the plant level and engage all the players to see how we can remedy any shortcomings… It is important we are transparent in the process.”