By Rachel Mohamed
South Africans endured another round of load-shedding over the weekend, with Eskom attributing the outages to a diesel shortage. In response, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa condemned the situation as “unacceptable,” stressing the need for urgent logistical and management improvements—especially after assuring the public just two weeks ago that load-shedding would not return.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat with Clyde Mallinson, independent energy analyst Mallinson raised concerns about Minister Ramokgopa’s level of involvement in Eskom’s operations. He cautioned that micromanaging the utility could undermine its governance structures.
“The minister shouldn’t be making personnel decisions at Eskom. That responsibility lies with the board, management, and station managers,” Mallinson argued.
He also highlighted the long-overdue Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), meant to guide South Africa’s energy strategy for the next 20 years.
“The IRP is two decades overdue and still hasn’t been published. The minister should be focusing on that long-term vision,” he added.
Mallinson further questioned the restructuring of state-owned entities under individual ministries, noting that Eskom now falls under the Department of Energy while Transnet is managed by the Department of Transport. Previously, both entities were overseen by the Department of Public Works.
He concluded by stressing the importance of balancing Eskom’s internal needs with the broader interests of the country.
Listen to the full interview:
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
