The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a state of emergency over the country’s energy crisis.
It comes as Eskom currently implements stage 4 and 5 rolling blackouts.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) also recently approved Eskom’s electricity tariff increase application by 18.65% for the 2023-2024 financial year.
The IFP is among a number of organisations which have written a letter to the Eskom leadership and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, demanding that the electricity supply be stabilised.
They say that Eskom, as an organ of the state, is in breach of its constitutional duties.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says, “In 2024, the people of SA must remove the government of the ANC that have failed them. Because it is not only Ramaphosa that has failed, but it is both the President and the ANC. In the meantime, a wakeup call must be made that the President must quickly declare a state of emergency because we are in a crisis.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on South Africans to join a march to Luthuli House on the 25th of this month to protest against the energy crisis.
The Azania People’s Organisation (AZAPO) is continuing its sit-in protest inside Nersa’s offices in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Below is the full interview with IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa:
