BL Premium reports that Mineral Resources & Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says his description of the new minister of electricity as a “project manager” does not mean the appointee will have a reduced role and authority.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new position to deal with SA’s energy crisis in his state of the nation address last week and also declared a national state of disaster. Speaking during Tuesday’s debate on the address, Mantashe said project management meant there would be clear time frames and milestones. “This is not reductionist,” he claimed. The appointment of the minister indicated the sense of urgency and the need to deliver solutions on time as SA could not wait 24 months to solve load-shedding, Mantashe stated. Critics have raised the prospect of a conflict and confusion of roles between the new minister – who has yet to be appointed – Mantashe and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, all of whom would have a role in managing Eskom and load-shedding. They have also pointed out that a relatively junior minister in the presidency would not be able to exercise power over political heavyweights such as Mantashe and Gordhan. Mantashe said the crisis could be solved by implementing four plans over the short and medium term, namely, improving Eskom’s energy availability factor at coal power stations; the purchase of emergency power; the purchase of electricity from neighbouring countries; and improving the skills capacity of Eskom.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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