State of disaster on power crisis likely to top agenda at Cabinet Lekgotla

CAPE TOWN – Declaring a national state of disaster to address the country’s worsening power crisis was expected to be one of the key items on the agenda when President Cyril Ramaphosa convened his Cabinet for a lekgotla on Wednesday.

The meeting was expected to set government’s priorities for the year.

The gathering of government leaders follows the ANC lekgotla which saw party leaders thrown their weight behind a state of disaster to fast track government actions to end load shedding.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa mulls national state of disaster over energy crisis

On Tuesday, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said declaring power cuts a national disaster would help the country move with speed in resolving the current power crisis.

Mbalula and his second deputy Nomvula Mokonyane addressed the media following the party’s NEC lekgotla.

He said if government wanted to bring an end to load shedding it could require it to reprioritise resources.

ALSO READ: A national state of disaster over load shedding? The public’s not so sure

“State of disaster will help us to move with speed. The target of getting this done and dusted by the end of the year can even move faster.

Mokonyane said ending power cuts required “extraordinary” measures.

“There is a call across the country that there has to be an extraordinary approach.

The resolutions taken at the NEC lekgotla would be be raised at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.