South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to tackle questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, with the majority of inquiries concerning the ongoing energy crisis. In addition, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the newly appointed Energy Minister in the Presidency, is expected to make a ministerial statement on “The crippling economic impact of load shedding, the performance of the installed Eskom capacity, and the transversal interventions to the national energy crisis”.
Additional queries are centred around measures to combat money laundering in light of Al Jazeera’s recent “gold mafia” exposé, as well as questions regarding the apparent weaknesses within the security cluster, as demonstrated by the Thabo Bester saga.
Given the continuing struggle with load shedding and no apparent resolution in sight, it comes as no surprise that the energy crisis will dominate President Ramaphosa’s question session. Earlier in the year, during his State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa announced his intention to appoint an Electricity Minister in the Presidency. This position was later filled by former Tshwane mayor, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
However, Ramokgopa’s delegation of powers is yet to be announced, and he currently operates without parliamentary oversight. The National Assembly Rules Committee has refrained from establishing a portfolio committee for this purpose as Ramokgopa’s department is set to draw its funding from the Presidency’s budget, rather than receiving its own from the National Treasury.
Despite ongoing requests for increased oversight, particularly from IFP chief whip Narend Singh, the ANC MPs have delayed the establishment of such a committee, insisting on further “research” and foreign trips.
In light of these developments, the ANC has provided Ramaphosa with the opportunity to “convince the public that the fact that the minister of electricity, located in the Presidency, is not an attempt to shift oversight on energy policy away from Parliament”.
Meanwhile, Ramokgopa’s planned ministerial statement on the economic impact of load shedding has been postponed at his request. This announcement follows the National Assembly’s financial watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, grilling former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter on allegations of corruption within the struggling power utility.
Additionally, other electricity-related queries pertain to “clean energy” and a “green economy”. ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe is set to question whether international commitments to assist South Africa in transitioning from coal plants to clean energy are still on track.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht, File
