South Africa

South Africa Declares 'State of Disaster' Over Energy Crisis

FEB 10 2023·Updated FEB 12 2023

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via The Wall Street Journal]

The Facts

South African Pres. Ramaphosa on Thursday announced a national "state of disaster“ over the country’s severe energy crisis in his annual State of the Nation address to parliament.
VOA
Noting that the power outages, which have struck Africa's most industrialized economy on a daily basis since 2023, pose an "existential threat" to the country's economy and social cohesion, Ramaphosa said the emergency measure will take immediate effect.
www.ft.com
He stated that the legislation will feature measures to safeguard critical infrastructure, as well as to speed up energy projects and the roll-out of generators and solar panels while limiting regulatory requirements.
The Southern African Times
This comes as state-owned power company Eskom continues the worst rolling blackouts in the country's history, affecting households and all sectors of the economy. The energy crisis is expected to cut South Africa's economic growth to 0.3% in 2023.
Reuters
Meanwhile, the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, announced it would challenge the government's emergency measure in court. The party cited alleged abuse of power during disaster legislation in response to the COVID pandemic.
Bloomberg.com
Analysts indicate that years of underinvestment in maintaining outdated coal-fired power plants have forced Eskom to step up power cuts in order to keep the country's electricity grid from completely collapsing. South Africa relies on coal for 80 percent of its energy requirements.
Al Jazeera

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

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PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The dire energy crisis is homegrown, but part of the problem is that South Africa has a growing demand for energy while leading the industrialized world in coal consumption. That's why the government is boldly embracing a plan to switch to renewable energy without sacrificing economic growth. If the transition succeeds — and South Africa receives billions in support — it could boost the economy and make the country a model for coal-dependent countries.

nytimes

Narrative B

It is unlikely that declaring a state of disaster will change the country's dire energy crisis anytime soon. The measure will not turn an incompetent government into a competent one and will instead lead to less accountability but more corruption. The extreme measure is primarily an expression of desperation, as evidenced by the government's intention to appoint a Minister of Electricity to deal with the crisis. South Africa faces a bleak and shaky future.

SABC News