RAMAPHOSA MULLS NATIONAL STATE OF DISASTER OVER ENERGY CRISIS

Addressing the close of the ANC NEC lekgotla on Monday night, Ramaphosa said party leaders have backed calls for the state of disaster to speedily address South Africa's power crisis in a much shorter period than the 18 to 24 months government had originally communicated to South Africans.

FILE: ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the ANC NEC Lekgotla in Johannesburg on 29 January 2023. Picture: Twitter/@AthiGeleba

Kevin Brandt | 31 January 2023 06:03

CAPE TOWN - Imposing a national state of disaster similar to the conditions imposed on South Africans during the COVID-19 pandemic would form part of discussion during Wednesday's cabinet lekgotla, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

Addressing the close of the ANC NEC lekgotla on Monday night, Ramaphosa said party leaders have backed calls for the state of disaster to speedily address South Africa's power crisis in a much shorter period than the 18 to 24 months government had originally communicated to South Africans.

Ramaphosa and his cabinet are set to meet on Wednesday to thrash out government's priorities for 2023 ahead of next week's state-of-the-nation address.

A national state of disaster would likely top the agenda.

"There's broad agreement that we should move in that direction...work is already underway within government to establish whether the legal requirements for the declaration of a national state of disaster are met," Ramaphosa told the ANC lekgotla.

Ramaphosa said government would also get clarity on the extent of the powers the declaration would give government to eradicate load shedding.

"It was observed that it would be necessary to have a national state of disaster, because that would enable use to have the instruments that would be necessary to fully address the challenge that our nation faces."