Mantashe might not have caused the problems behind rolling blackouts, but he is the biggest roadblock to SA’s energy security

11 December 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has never accused Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, of actually causing the problems that led to Stage 6 rolling blackouts earlier this week, but the minister must be held responsible for being the biggest roadblock to true energy security in South Africa.

While Eskom reports to Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, energy policy and electricity regulation is Mantashe's responsibility. It is only Mantashe who can authorise new independent power producers. It is only Mantashe who can deregulate the small scale embedded generation market. It is only Mantashe who can give municipalities the permission to purchase electricity from IPPs. And it is only Mantashe who can amend schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to allow  users to produce up to 10MW of electricity for their own use.

The last point alone could take up to 1.3GW of demand off the grid, as mines and intensive users will be able to generate for own use.

Minister Mantashe is aware of all of this. We have raised it with him repeatedly. But he is trapped in an ideological box of his own creation, and appears unwilling to take the necessary steps to get power flowing to South Africa again.

Once again, the DA is reaching out to the Minister to offer our assistance in resolving this crisis. Now is not the time for party politics. It is time to save South Africa.

Issued by Kevin Mileham, DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources, 11 December 2019