- The minster highlighted several issues he plans to address, including the unaffordability of some municipal energy tariffs and green energy.
- Ramaphosa said, “We’ve had to consider, if necessary, separating certain portfolios to ensure sufficient focus on key issues.”
South Africa’s minister of electricity and energy, Kgosientesho Ramokgopa, said his department will be “ultra-aggressive” in rolling out renewable energy generation and address concerns about electricity prices.
He highlighted several issues he plans to address, including the unaffordability of some municipal energy tariffs and green energy.
“We are going to be ultra-aggressive in the rollout of renewable energy capacity,” said Ramokgopa. “If you look at the bid windows, we are very measured, but we need to talk to the financial sector and the developers,” he noted.
He added that South Africa had reconfigured the licencing and regulatory exemption to boost the rollout of renewable generation capacity.
He noted that South Africa would maintain its “spine” of energy generation, including coal, hydro, and nuclear power. The minister also wanted to address the country’s electricity pricing problem.
“There’re many households that just can’t objectively afford the cost of electricity, which is rising at an exponential rate,” said Ramokgopa.
This would lead to rising energy poverty in South Africa, where power is available through the grid, but many poorer households can’t afford to access it.
“They must choose whether to reload the units on prepaid, buy bread, or pay school fees. Those are difficult choices,” the minister said. “Those we need to resolve with municipalities.”
“We’ve had to consider, if necessary, separating certain portfolios to ensure sufficient focus on key issues,” said Ramaphosa.
This included merging the electricity ministry in The Presidency and the Department of Energy. A separate ministry for mineral and petroleum resources will also be established.
Ramokgopa was appointed minister of electricity and energy, and Samantha Graham of the Democratic Alliance will serve as his deputy. Graham has served as Ramokgopa’s shadow minister since April 2023.