Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has said that no options for resolving the electricity crisis should be taken off the table.
Speaking to News24 in advance of a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee, he said: ‘We have to be bold and decisive in how we deal with the crisis, in a manner that restores public confidence in our ability to be the championing of the solutions. My view is that all options must be on the table. There shouldn’t be any option excluded on the basis of principle.’
Ramokgopa, whose brief is to deal with the debilitating power crisis, has proposed a plan to keep coal-fired power stations active, with public-private partnerships to support this. The cabinet has asked for more details of the plans.
The ANC has long been sceptical of privatisation as a means to deal with crises. However, Ramokgopa said: ‘Options must be weighed on the degree to which they are able to resolve this problem. It must not provide (an) additional burden on the fiscus and by making it possible for the poor to also have access to affordable, reliable electricity solutions.’
News24 reported that sources had indicated that the electricity crisis would be a point of friction, as competing interests within the party have differing opinions on how to respond to it and on the track record of President Ramaphosa in dealing with it.