By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Electricity Kgosientso Ramokgopa’s executive statement that was scheduled for delivery in the National Assembly on Thursday has been postponed.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the scheduling of the executive statement had followed Ramokgopa’s letter to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngqakula requesting permission to address the House.
Ramokgopa was to have focused on the crippling economic impact of load shedding, the performance of the installed Eskom capacity, and the transversal interventions to the national energy crisis.
“The executive statement by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, which was scheduled for delivery in the National Assembly on Thursday, is postponed at the request of the Minister,” Mothapo said.
However, responding to written parliamentary questions earlier this week, Ramokgopa said the government was implementing the energy action plan to improve the supply of electricity.
Ramokgopa also said his ministry continued to work with energy intensive users, the renewable energy sector, Eskom, and other stakeholders across the energy value chain to ensure that beyond the immediate crisis, in the medium to long term, energy security was restored by increasing production in line with the energy-mix profile set out in the Integrated Resource Plan.
There was also the strengthening and expansion of the national transmission infrastructure as codified in the Transmission Development Plan.
Meanwhile president Cyril Ramaphosa has evoked section 79 of the constitution to transfer executive powers from newly appointed ministers in the presidency except for the minister of electricity, Ramokgopa, whose role in the cabinet remains unclear.
Ramaphosa has transferred powers from minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni to planning, monitoring and evaluation head Maropene Ramokgopa, who is responsible for the oversight of the implementation of the government’s departmental strategic and annual plans.
With the country still hampered by load shedding, and with no end in sight, it is perhaps no surprise the focus of Ramaphosa’s question session on Thursday will be the energy crisis.
In February, during his State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa announced he would appoint an Electricity Minister in the Presidency.
At the time of writing, Ramokgopa’s delegation of powers has not yet been announced.
He is also not overseen by a parliamentary committee.
The National Assembly Rules Committee decided not to establish a portfolio committee for this purpose, as Ramokgopa’s department will not get its own budget from National Treasury, but draw its funds from the Presidency’s budget.