South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured) on Thursday declared a national state of disaster over the energy crisis, citing an existential threat to the economy and pillars of society.
In his annual State of the Nation Address to parliament, the president stressed that the country is "in the grip of a profound energy crisis," which has progressed to affect every part of the society. He said the move will help lessen the impact on water infrastructure, transport network as well as farmers and businesses.
The declaration will grant the government additional powers to respond, such as allowing for much faster emergency procurement procedures. State electricity utility Eskom has been implementing the worst blackouts on record to avoid load-shedding, interrupting the supply to preserve the generating plant from overloading.
