Civil society organisations also heading to court to halt power cuts
Civil society organisation Green Connection together with the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute (SAFCEI) have initiated a legal challenge against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the country's crippling energy crisis in the country.
The organisations say the aim of the legal action is to force the president to him to bring Section 6 of the National Energy Act into operation, and for the Minister of Energy Gwede Mantashe to develop an Integrated Energy Plan in terms of that section.
It states that the minister must establish mechanisms to collect, collate and analyse energy data and information. He is also required to annually publish an analysis reviewing energy demand and supply for previous year and must publish models used for data and information analysis.
SAFCEI executive director Francesca de Gasparis says politicians are to blame for the worsening energy crisis.
"South Africa is in an energy crisis that seems to be worsening with each political decision made, which is why SAFCEI has decided to join The Green Connection in taking the government to court over its failure to bring Section 6 in to operation and to develop and implement an Integrated Energy Plan (IEP), which would serve as a roadmap and blueprint for how South Africa will get itself out of this energy crisis.
"The Green Connection has written letters to the president and the minister for over two years, asking for Section 6 to be brought into operation, and for the Integrated Energy Plan to be developed and implemented but nothing has happened."
She says the energy crisis is a national emergency which is crippling every facet of the country.
"We believe that this is the critical issue facing South Africa at present, for our democracy, for the economy and for the well-being of every person living in South Africa. The situation is morally unjust. We need to take action and demand that the President and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources put in place an energy plan, so that we no longer have to suffer from up to 10 hours of power cuts and uncertainty, daily.
"The energy crisis impacts almost all aspects of our lives from the ability to study, earn, seek medical attention, our safety as we travel and go about our daily lives, and the overall lack of basic service delivery should be a very serious concern for our political leaders," says De Gasparis.
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