Electricity Minister proposes programme called “Electricity for All”

Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramakgopa says bringing down the cost of electricity is a pressing priority for the government. Ramakgopa was speaking on the sidelines of the African National Congress (ANC) National Lekgotla taking place in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.

Amongst the issues the meeting is discussing is the medium-term development plan’s focus on reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living.

Additionally, in his January 8 address, President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed the party’s deployees to find solutions to fixing local government and ensuring water and energy security.

The meeting happens against the backdrop of a decision expected next week on whether electricity regulator NERSA will accede to Eskom’s request for a 36% electricity tariff increase.

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) serves as the government’s strategic framework for planning South Africa’s energy supply, aiming to align future energy demand with available resources and capacity.

“The application of 36% tariff increase will not see the light of day. I am confident that we will not see those proportions of increases. I am confident that the work that we have done and submissions made to NERSA suggest that the electricity increases will be lower than that, but still, it is an increase; it is an inflationary impact on the South African economy, impacting the poor disproportionately, and that is why the energy mix is important and the release of the IRP in that context is important. And I did say that before the first quarter of this year, before the end of March, we would have gone out with the IRP. We will publish it. We have done extensive consultation. So I am confident that the affordability question will receive attention,” says Ramakgopa.

In addition, Ramakgopa says government will summon the same resolve in eradicating load reduction as it did with loadshedding. Load reduction has seen Eskom cut off electricity to areas, usually townships, that have excessive electricity usage by residents who are illegally connected.

Ramakgopa has proposed a programme called “Electricity for All” to resolve the issue.

“In order to eliminate it, you need to know the root causes. You know there are challenges and issues around illegal connections and the by-passing of meters, so essentially you build the necessary infrastructure to support everyone that is consuming. Secondly, you are able to meter those so that you don’t do estimations; its accurate billing and its completeness of billing; and lastly, intervention is in relation to innovative solutions for generation behind the meter interventions. Before the end of March, we will be launching the first phase we have started in Limpopo,” he adds.

[WATCH]
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says Government is working tirelessly to resolve load reduction in most townships and rural areas. pic.twitter.com/G5rr70YBIJ

— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 26, 2025