Ramokgopa welcomes appointment of new Eskom CEO, says leadership stability is key
Minister of Electricity Kgosientso Ramokgopa says he is looking forward to the contribution of Eskom's new CEO Dan Marokane.
Marokane’s appointment as the new head of the struggling utility was announced on Friday.
The embattled utility has been without a permanent CEO since February when former CEO Andre de Ruyter resigned.
Speaking at a media briefing, Ramokgopa said stability at a leadership level is key to resolving the energy crisis.
Marokane is a qualified chemical engineer – who has an MBA – and is an executive with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience. He is expected to take up his new position before the end of March 2024.
The appointment of a new CEO comes two weeks after a High Court ruling, which declared the planned power cuts as unconstitutional and a violation of basic human rights.
The court gave the government a deadline of 31 January 2024 to take all reasonable steps to prevent load shedding at state-run schools, police stations, and hospitals.
Ramokgopa said he agreed with the court’s ruling.
"When we were in court, we accepted that load shedding has an adverse impact on our ability to deliver. We have not shied away from that load shedding indeed undermines people's constitutional rights.”
The minister also announced that the cabinet has approved the draft Integrated Resource Plan. The IRP calculates SA’s energy needs from the present until 2030, and the second from 2030 to 2050
"The Integrated Resource Plan 2023 has been approved by the cabinet and will be out for public comment. This policy will, firstly, project what the future demand is, and then it responds with fuel sources that are going to support that demand.
"The policy does some degree of computation in relation to the cost implications.”
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