WATCH: ‘I give you my word, end of load shedding is in sight, the future is bright’ – Ramokgopa

“I do give you my word: The end of load shedding is indeed in sight; the future is bright,” Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said, echoing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise that the end to load shedding  within sight.

Ramokgopa made the remarks during the post State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Tuesday with the one MP saying “load shedding isn’t the end of the world”.

Watch Kgosientsho Ramokgopa giving a message to Tintswalo

Winter

The Electricity Minister said South Africa is expected to enter the winter period with a more reliable generation capacity as Eskom ramps up maintenance and private generation.

“These interventions will add another 2580 MW to the grid in 2024 the end of load shedding is indeed within sight.”

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Ramokgopa said since September 2023, planned maintenance increased sharply.

“This meant that whereas we could have opted for the short-term gain of reducing load shedding; since then, we opted for the more enduring approach of ramping planned maintenance.

“This will ensure that going into the winter of 2024, the fleet’s reliability will have been significantly strengthened. This also means that heading into the winter peak demand period, we can claw back up to 2000 MW by tapering planned maintenance and strengthening available capacity, he said.

Tintswalo

Ramokgopa also had a message for Tintswalo referred to by Ramaphosa in his Sona.

“I want to say as your honest uncle, uncle Sputla, I know of your anger, I feel your pain, and I understand your cries, that load shedding is contracting and closing your capabilities.”

“I draw counsel from President Oliver Tambo when he said, ‘The end is glorious; it is peaceful. The intervening period is dark and bitter and finds its glory in acts of struggle,”’ Ramokgopa said.

Ramokgopa added that while the unbundling of Eskom continues, the sustainability of the Generation Division is critical to ensure the national utility remains the backbone of our energy supply capability and, ultimately, the country’s energy security.

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