South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the country’s electricity crisis continues to undermine economic growth and investment.
“Power cuts damage businesses, disrupt households, undermine the provision of social services and affect the safety and well-being of the people,” noted Mr. Ramaphosa, also chairman of South Africa’s ruling party. the African National Congress (ANC), during the lekgotla (agora) of the National Executive Council of the ANC.
“Resolving the energy crisis and ending load shedding is one of our most immediate and pressing challenges,” he said.
Because of the outages, businesses are reluctant to invest, productivity is held back, economic growth cannot be sustained and jobs cannot be created on the scale needed, Ramaphosa continued.
The President recalled having signed agreements with independent power producers for 26 renewable energy projects, which will generate approximately 2,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity; they are also negotiating to import 1,000 MW from neighboring countries.
Some of the power plants that reach the end of their life will be switched from coal to renewable energy, he added.