EFF rejects calls for a National State of Disaster on the ongoing energy crisis

31 January 2023

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rejects the meaningless calls by Cyril Ramaphosa for a state of national disaster to be declared on the prevailing crisis of rolling electricity blackouts. The call, which the incompetent Cyril Ramaphosa made at his political party meeting is an empty pretence of doing something about the electricity crisis, and will not end the crippling electricity blackouts.

The COVID-19 Pandemic was an instructive lesson on the ability of the ANC government to utilise tragedy and disaster as means to massively loot state-resources. There was no verifiable intervention that saved lives when South Africa was under a state of national disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic, and massive corruption occurred under the guise of emergency procurement of Personal Protective Equipment's (PPE's).

If South Africa were to go under a state of disaster due to the energy crisis, the puppets of imperialism who have already taken loans from the USA to destroy our coal industry, will utilise the lack of oversight by government institutions on their decisions, to privatise ESKOM and destroy our energy sovereignty. Additionally to this, there will be an unregulated approval of the plugging of parasitic Independent Power Producer's (IPP's) to South Africa's electricity grid, further bleeding our coffers dry in order to enrich Ramaphosa and his handlers.

The consideration of a state of national disaster is premised on greed, corruption, and an uncontrollable desire to privatise ESKOM without being held accountable. It will bring no permanent solution to the energy challenges we are facing, and must be rejected with the contempt it deserves.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 31 January 2023