Eskom Crisis: Ramaphosa “shock and worry” won’t switch South Africa’s lights on

12 February 2019

President Ramaphosa’s ‘shock… worry… [and] disturbance’ over degenerating power cuts in South Africa is a sober reminder that the President is not in charge of his government. It is time Ramaphosa stands up to his allies, takes action, and offers the country a workable solution to what is now a national power crisis. There is no time for delay.

The time for the DA’s request for an urgent debate of national importance on the Eskom crisis is now. We implore the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, to accede to our request for this debate. If Parliament is serious about holding the Executive to account, the presiding officers will afford the President the oppourtunity to provide answers to this crisis, before his reply to the SONA debate on Thursday. It is time that Parliament re-asserts its oversight role, instead of shielding the ANC from accountability.

The DA has a plan for Eskom and to diversify our energy supply. We know that our ‘cheaper energy bill’ can achieve this change that builds One South Africa for All because the DA gets stuff done. A debate of this kind will allow the DA to table its proposals on how we would fix the Eskom crisis. The time for party politics is now over, as South Africa finds itself in a state of crisis.

Our continued victories in the Courts of the Western Cape for the rights of the City to buy energy directly from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) is testament to this DA difference. Our agenda for immediate change will continue to be unpacked during the replies to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament later today.

The ANC is the problem and must be voted out of power for the lights to stay on in South Africa.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 12 February 2019