Ramaphosa must intervene in battle between Mantashe, Gordhan and Ramokgopa, ANC says

President Cyril Ramaphosa should intervene and not permit territorial battles between the three ministers responsible for managing the energy sector to delay the clarification of ministerial powers of newly appointed electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. 

Ramokgopa’s appointment to the cabinet in February is part of government’s plans to end load-shedding. Together with public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan and minerals & energy minister Gwede Mantashe, he is responsible for ending load-shedding, including the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.

Ramokgopa, however, does not have any ministerial powers, making his role and function within the cabinet unclear.  A possible transfer of powers to Ramokgopa would likely require Ramaphosa to enact powers authorised to him in section 97 of the constitution, which empowers the president to transfer powers or functions from one member of the cabinet to another.

An enactment of the relevant legislation would likely dilute the ministerial powers of both Mantashe, whose department is responsible for energy policy, and Gordhan, who is government’s shareholder representative at Eskom. 

Business Day understands neither Mantashe nor Gordhan have supported the possibility of reducing their ministerial powers for Ramokgopa to take over. 

“We didn’t appoint an electricity minister to struggle for [ministerial] powers... we want a smooth working relationship,” Mbalula said on Friday. 

Ramokgopa told Business Day he has had discussions with the president about his ministerial powers, including which should be transferred to him from other cabinet members. 

“The president has indicated that he will make that determination... once he makes it, I will work within the parameters ,” Ramokgopa said. 

The minister of electricity’s ministerial powers and his plans to end the load-shedding crisis are expected to dominate the talks at this weekend’s meeting between the ANC top brass as the party prepares to claw back from successive electoral losses ahead of next year’s national elections. 

Ramokgopa’s plans include extending the life of Eskom’s coal-fired plants and adjusting the load-shedding targets set out in the energy plan, both of which have been flagged by energy watchers as contradictory to SA’s net-zero emissions plans. 

Ramokgopa’s proposals were endorsed by the ANC’s national working committee and he presented his plans to the cabinet on Wednesday, who referred him to the national energy crisis committee for concurrence. 

Other discussions to be held by the ANC’s national executive committee at its four-day meeting starting Friday include its approach to coalitions with other parties ahead of the national elections next year and the reconfiguration of the ANC-led alliance with the SA Communist Party and labour union federation Cosatu. 

maekot@businesslive.co.za