President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into by Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to strengthen action against load shedding across the country.
The announcement was made by the Presidency’s office on Friday.
According to the presidency, the two ministers have agreed to sign the agreement to take measures against the growing crisis of power cuts.
The MoU confirmed solid groundwork for a joint effort to curb the matter.
This comes after several political parties have slammed Eskom for announcing the return of power cuts in the wake of the new year, citing concerns over the safety of the economy and the daily lives of citizens.
In a statement by the presidency, Ramaphosa said: "While significant progress has been made in reducing the severity of load shedding, much work still needs to be done to guarantee a secure supply of electricity.
“The collaborative D approach outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding will further strengthen Eskom's efforts to resolve the electricity crisis."
He stated that the two ministers will work together more closely and with their respective responsibilities clearly outlined to ensure the effective implementation of the Energy Action Plan. The MoU paved the way for the Ramokgopa to fully focus on all aspects of the electricity crisis and the work of the National Energy Crisis Committee.
He will also exercise authority over the Eskom Board and management on ending load shedding and ensure that the Energy Action Plan is implemented without delay.
This will include improving the generation capacity, purchasing additional capacity, and also overseeing the implementation of the Eskom Generation Recovery Plan. Ramokgopa will also ensure that matters related to transmission are dealt with.
On the other hand, Gordhan will remain the shareholder representative of Eskom, support and assist Ramokgopa with his interactions with the board, steer the restructuring of Eskom, and also oversee the implementation of the just energy transition strategy as provided for in the Shareholder Compact.
Ramaphosa said the ministers will have regular review meetings to discuss their progress.
The country will face several stages of load shedding over the weekend, Eskom said in a statement.
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