Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says government is intensifying efforts to eliminate load reduction in rural areas and townships, with several provinces expected to see relief in the coming months.
Speaking to the media outside Cape Town City Hall ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening, Ramokgopa said teams are working continuously to stabilise supply in hard-hit communities.
“I’m happy to say that by March we will be done with the North West. By March we will also be done with the Northern Cape, and we will complete the remainder of the country by October this year,” he said.
Load reduction often implemented in areas with network constraints and infrastructure challenges has disproportionately affected residents in townships and rural communities, drawing criticism over unequal access to reliable electricity.
Ramokgopa said addressing these disparities remains a priority as government works to strengthen the grid and improve service delivery.
Meanwhile, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said he hopes the President will use his address to highlight how state-owned assets can be better utilised to unlock investment and create jobs.
Macpherson argued that underused public land and buildings present significant opportunities to stimulate economic growth, attract foreign investment and expand employment.
“Our focus remains on contributing to growth and jobs,” he said, noting that the construction sector recorded a surge of about 130,000 new jobs last year.
“We hope the President reflects on our contribution to job creation and outlines how we can scale that impact even further.”
As anticipation builds for the address, both ministers signalled that energy stability and infrastructure-led growth will be central to government’s economic recovery plans with reliable power and productive assets seen as key building blocks for development.