Ramaphosa promises businesses 'short-term' end to loadshedding

President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised the business sector that government is working to end loadshedding in the short term. 

He was speaking at the fifth South Africa Investment Conference in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Thursday. 

“The lack of reliability in electricity supply weakens business and consumer confidence, taints international perceptions about our country and affects investment sentiment and decisions," the president said.

The government had solutions to address the crisis through its energy action plan, introduced last July, he added.

“As we work to close the electricity supply shortfall and end loadshedding in the short term, we are laying the foundation for a fundamental reform of the energy sector in the longer term.  

“Our immediate focus is on improving the performance of our existing coal-fired power stations as they continue to provide the baseload of our energy,” Ramaphosa said.

No timeline was given.

Government's plan to avert the energy crisis mirrors much of Cape Town’s independent electricity supply plan, which has not been largely implemented in other municipalities.  

“We recently released a request for proposals for over 500MW of battery storage and will soon open further bid windows for wind and solar, battery storage and gas power,” said Ramaphosa.

Though loadshedding would remain a challenge in the immediate future, he believed its severity would begin to ease through the state's electricity supply initiatives.

“What we are witnessing in the energy sector is an undeniable surge of investment that will not only address the electricity supply shortfall in years to come, but will propel growth and create jobs.” 

Online, many expressed anger and disappointment at the ongoing loadshedding. Minister of electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was criticised most for the latest bout of stage 6 power cuts.

This is how people reacted on social media: