President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is working on eliminating the electricity crisis in the country. Eskom is currently implementing stage four of rolling blackouts.
In July, the President established the National Energy Crisis Committee of Ministers headed by the Director-General of the Presidency, Phindile Baleni. However, there is growing frustration over South Africa’s continued rolling blackouts.
Ramaphosa addressed the matter during the state visit of Western Sahara President, Brahim Ghali at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
“We are working very hard on our own energy reforms and we’re working hard to lessen and finally eliminate the load-shedding that South Africans have been subjected to. We’re fully aware that it has brought a lot of hardship in the lives of our people but at the same time, it has had a negative impact on our economy and that is why we are hard at work to ensure that we address our energy challenges.”
Earlier, Eskom announced that it will suspend rolling blackouts during the day on Wednesday from 5 am to 4 pm after which it will institute stage three rolling blackouts on Wednesday evening.
Stage three will last from 4 pm Wednesday afternoon until midnight.
The same pattern will be repeated on Thursday. The power utility says it expects to implement stage two in the evening on Friday.
The effects of rolling blackouts on South Africans:
![[File photo] Members of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo gesture during the reahesals ahead of singing their warm-hearted choral harmonies in honor of peace icon Nelson Mandela at the at the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 15, 2022.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ISICATHAIYA-GROUP-120x86.jpg)
