Energy state of emergency to be lifted today

The state of emergency that was declared to address the electricity crisis in February will be lifted on Wednesday, according to a letter, written to the labour union Solidarity by the Attorney General's office.

TimesLIVE has seen the letter.

"We are instructed that the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), in consultation with the relevant Cabinet members, has decided to terminate the state of disaster1 in accordance with section 27(5)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 57 of 2002 and to repeal the State of Disaster Regulations promulgated in Government Gazette No.48145, GNR 3089 on 27 February 2023," the letter stated.

According to Pretoria State Attorney General Spipho Mathebula, they were instructed that "the head of the National Disaster Management Centre has decided to revoke the classification of the impact of the severe electricity supply constraint as a national disaster."

"The Minister of CoGTA and the head of the National Disaster Management Centre will implement these decisions today through the publication of the relevant notices in the Government Gazette," Mathebula wrote.

"We propose that the parties address a joint letter to the Deputy Judge President to inform him of these developments and, if necessary, to cancel the meeting scheduled for 12 April 2023."

Solidarity's Dr Dirk Hermann is jubilant.

"This letter is the direct result of Solidariy's continuous pressure and it is clear that the government stood no chance of success in court," Hermann wrote in a statement shared with TimesLIVE .

"The withdrawal of the state of emergency less than two months after it was instated indicates that Solidarity was correct from the start in saying it was nothing but political theatre.

"All the necessary instruments that are needed to solve the power crisis have been in the government's hands for years. Their incompetence or unwillingness to use it is the larger emergency," Hermann said.

"A bad tradesman with a larger hammer will not lead to better construction."

TimesLIVE

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