NATIONAL NEWS - Government has officially withdrawn the national state of disaster on electricity.

“All regulations and directions made in terms of Section 27(2) of the Act pursuant to the declaration of the national state of disaster to deal with the impact or the severe electricity supply constraint are repealed,” it said in a statement.

The interventions and support measures already in place as an accelerated response at the time the state of disaster was declared will remain in place.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) also tweeted the details on Wednesday morning, before the official announcement was made.

“OUTA’s legal team was just informed that the government decided to withdraw the state of disaster on electricity and revoke the regulations. This follows on OUTA’s legal challenge to stop the SOD. Big win for civil society,” it tweeted.

“Solidarity forces government to end (another) state of disaster. In a legal letter to Solidarity, government announced that the energy state of disaster will be withdrawn today, and Solidarity is requested to withdraw its case.”

National state of disaster on electricity

In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster to respond to the electricity crisis.

Ramaphosa also appointed Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as Minister of Electricity in the Presidency which focuses full-time on working with Eskom to end load shedding.

Ramaphosa said government needed to do away with the red tape that made it difficult to address the energy crisis.

“The National Disaster Management Centre has consequently classified the energy crisis and
its impact as a disaster. We are, therefore, declaring a national state of disaster to respond to the electricity crisis and its effects,” said Ramaphosa.

Update on national state of disaster

Meanwhile, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, will on Wednesday afternoon give an update on the national state of disaster over Eskom.

Minister Nkadimeng will be joined by the Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa is also expected to provide details on the measures his department was taking to reduce the impact of load shedding.

Eskom exemption

Wednesday’s briefing comes after the National Treasury decided to withdraw the exemption granted to Eskom from reporting irregular, wasteful and fruitless expenditure in its annual financial statements. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed the decision in a joint meeting with Parliament on Wednesday.

Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’