Ramaphosa ‘truly regrets’ Level six load shedding

President Cyril Ramaphosa deeply regrets the current energy situation, which has resulted in Eskom implementing Stage 6 load shedding, according to Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

Magwenya updated the public on the President’s public agenda and current affairs on January 12th.

Magwenya stated that Ramaphosa has acknowledged the annoyance of households, parents, and students who have begun the school year with power outages.

During the briefing, Magwenya stated, “The devastation to small businesses and the negative impact on the economy remain severe for South Africa’s recovering economy.”

Magwenya said, in an update on the National Energy Plan, that on 15 December 2022, Ramaphosa convened a National Energy Crisis Committee comprised of Ministers and different technical work stream leaders.

While the President welcomed some of the progress made in executing components of the National Energy Plan, he asked that all priority areas and measures in the plan be implemented with greater urgency and speed.

“President Ramaphosa is still preoccupied with finding a long-term solution to the current energy issue. The President has been routinely updated on the status of Eskom and the National Energy Plan’s implementation.

“Additional engagements are scheduled for today and tomorrow for a review of the situation and direction on urgent measures that must be taken to mitigate the effects of load shedding,” Magwenya explained.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has authorized Eskom a rate increase of 18.65% for the 2023/24 financial year beginning on 1 April, despite South Africans being subjected to rolling blackouts and Eskom implementing Stage 6 load shedding indefinitely.

Tshepo Kgadima, an energy analyst, reports that electricity rates have climbed by a staggering 753% over the past decade.