The minister in the presidency responsible for electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has underscored the critical role of infrastructure maintenance and servicing of municipal debt in maintaining a steady electricity supply.
In his weekly Energy Action Plan briefing held in Pretoria on Sunday, Ramokgopa addressed the issues that contribute to communities experiencing electricity shortages even after load shedding.
He emphasised that in certain communities, the demand for electricity has exceeded the capacity of assets, including transformers and substations, leading to failures and disruptions in the supply chain, Ramokgopa stated: "Our discussions with representatives from distribution, the National Treasury, and the SA Local Government Association aim to address the debt challenges faced by municipalities," Ramokgopa explained. He expressed concern that these financial hurdles were obstructing communities from accessing the electricity they had rightfully paid for.
During a bilateral meeting with Namibia's minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, potential areas of mutual collaboration were explored.
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