President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) Lekgotla on Monday evening, 30 January, and indicated that the party has resolved to declare the ongoing electricity crisis a National State of Disaster.
READ: Electricity crisis: Ramaphosa to announce emergency energy package by ‘end of next week’
NATIONAL STATE OF DISASTER OVER LOAD SHEDDING ON THE CARDS
“There was talk about a declaration of a national state of disaster like what we did when we faced COVID-19, and there is broad agreement we should move in that direction,” said the President.
Ramaphosa said the government is already considering whether the legal requirements for implementing the National State of Disaster are met.
The government is also considering which actions it would take to resolve the load shedding crisis.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has long called for a “ring-fenced” State of Disaster to tackle load shedding.
If the National State of Disaster is implemented, the government could speedily access disaster relief funding and solve issues without being bogged down by certain legal hindrances.
READ: Gauteng State of Disaster declared after devastating flooding
“This lekgotla has provided clear direction on what needs to be done to end the energy crisis as a matter of extreme urgency and to establish a firm foundation for energy security and sustainability into the future,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa conceded that the government has to resolve the load shedding crisis in a shorter time frame than was initially projected.
As things stand, Eskom has implemented permanent Stage 4 load shedding until further notice. Power cuts have been a part of daily life in 2023.
Earlier on Monday, the Western Cape government announced it had availed R88 million in emergency funding to mitigate the impact of load shedding on service delivery in the province.
The money will go to the provincial department of local government to procure backup generators for the treatment and supply of water services.
READ MORE: Electricity crisis: Western Cape Government allocates R88m to tackle load shedding impact on service delivery
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