Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that establishes a firm basis for a collaborative approach between Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
The MoU entered into by Minister Gordhan and Minister Ramokgopa will better clarify their respective responsibilities to Eskom and the resolution of the electricity crisis.
However, President Ramaphosa said while significant progress has been made in reducing the severity of load-shedding, much work still needs to be done to guarantee a secure supply of electricity.
“The collaborative approach outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding will further strengthen Eskom’s efforts to resolve the electricity crisis,” President Ramaphosa said.
“The ministers will work together more closely and with their respective responsibilities clearly outlined to ensure the effective implementation of the Energy Action Plan.”
The MoU outlines the roles and responsibilities of the minister of electricity as follows:
- Focus full-time on all aspects of the electricity crisis and the work of the National Energy Crisis Committee.
- Exercise authority over the Eskom Board and management on ending load shedding and ensure that the Energy Action Plan is implemented without delay.
- Improve generation capacity and the purchase of additional capacity.
- Oversee implementation of the Eskom Generation Recovery Plan.
- Ensure that the generation fleet performs optimally and results in security of supply and low level of load shedding.
- Ensure that matters dealing with transmission are dealt with, including the issuing of the Requests for Proposals and/or Requests for Information for financing of new transmission lines.
- Developing and agreeing on financing models and options for transmission together with the National Treasury and the Presidency.
The MoU takes into account the Eskom Memorandum of Incorporation, which makes it obligatory to inform the minister of public enterprises of critical decisions in this respect.
The MoU stipulates that the minister of public enterprises will:
- Remain the shareholder representative of Eskom.
- Support and assist the minister of electricity in his interactions with the board by incorporating the responsibilities of the minister of electricity listed in the MoU in the execution of his role as shareholder, in line with the Eskom Shareholder Compact, and inserting the obligations of the board in this regard into the Board Performance Evaluation Framework.
- Steer the restructuring of Eskom in line with the Eskom Roadmap.
- Ensure the establishment and operationalisation of the transmission company.
- Lay the basis for the restructuring of Eskom arising from the Electricity Regulation Act Amendment Bill.
- Oversee the implementation of the just energy transition strategy as provided for in the Shareholder Compact.
The MoU makes provision for regular review meetings between the ministers to address any impediments to its implementation.
The ministers will also have regular review meetings with President Ramaphosa.
The arrangement outlined in the MoU will be operational until the end of the current administration.
Meanwhile, Eskom implemented Stage 3 load-shedding on Friday from 16:00 until 05:00 on Saturday, followed by Stage 1 load-shedding until 16:00.
Thereafter, Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00 on Sunday.
Load-shedding will then be suspended from 05:00 until 16:00 on Sunday and Stage 1 load-shedding will resume from 16:00 until 05:00 on Monday.
Eskom said the lower stages of load-shedding are a result of the return to service of some generation units in the past 48 hours, coupled with the anticipated lower weekend demand.
