South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, expressed optimism that an end to the debilitating power cuts in the country is “within reach” during his annual state of the nation address preceding this year’s elections. However, he refrained from providing a specific timetable for this assurance.
The country has grappled with frequent blackouts due to years of inadequate investment in the energy sector by the state-owned company, Eskom, leading to detrimental effects on industrial productivity.
In his address, President Ramaphosa pledged to ramp up renewable energy production and generate numerous jobs within the green economy sector.
The governing ANC faces mounting dissatisfaction from the electorate over perceived failures in fulfilling previous pledges to combat poverty and corruption.
President Ramaphosa’s commitment to addressing the power crisis reflects ongoing efforts to alleviate economic challenges and restore public trust in the government’s ability to deliver on crucial promises.