Solidarity forces the government to end (yet another) state of disaster

5 April 2023

In a legal letter addressed to Solidarity the State Attorney announced that the state of disaster pertaining to the energy crisis would be withdrawn today. Solidarity was furhtermore requested to withdraw its court application to have this state of disaster scrapped.

According to Solidarity, this letter is the direct result of its persistent pressure, and it is clear that the government stood no chance of having success in court.

“The withdrawal of the state of disaster less than two months after it being instituted, is an indication that Solidarity was right from the outset in contending that the state of disaster was mere political theater,” Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann explained. “All the instruments that are needed to solve the energy crisis have been in the government’s hands for years. The government’s incomeptence or unwillingness to use those instruments is the greater disaster.”

“An incompetent artisan with a bigger hammer will not result in him being able to do a better job,” Hermann stated.

Solidarity argues that once again the latest failed attempt by the government in trying to solve this crisis alone and with supreme authority is the death knell for the idea that the government alone can solve South Africa’s crises.

“The solution lies in the devolution of power. The energy solution lies in small-scale generation on a large scale. It lies on millions of rooftops rather than in a few corridors of the Union Buildings.

Solidarity once again calls on the government to step aside so that the private and community sectors can solve the power crisis.

"The government should now merely focus on removing all hindering regulations so that anyone who wants to generate and sell electricity can do so without difficulty,” Hermann concluded.

Issued by Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive, Solidarity, 5 April 2023