Johannesburg – After weeks of being appointed as the Electricity Minister in South Africa, Kgosientsho ‘Sputla’ Ramokgopa continues to be under scrutiny as the power crisis worsens.
The question of whether Sputla is the higher version of the former Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha has been asked on social media.
In an interview, Ramokgopa, who also said that he is a “project manager”, revealed that he has no executive powers.
Various organisations and political parties, such as the EFF, have slammed his assignment, further calling for him to be removed.
The party also alleged that Ramokgopa is corrupt.
This comes to light after many say he has failed to deliver what is due to South Africa, which is a properly functioning power supply.
Mantshantsha, who also agreed to join Eskom as the spokesperson in a difficult period, is often brought up in the conversation, although he resigned from the job.
While Mantshantsha is reported to have assisted in improving Eskom’s public image, Ramokgopa has been vilified for doing anything but resolving the electricity issue.
It seems like the glimmer of hope that came with his appointment is slowly fading as he continues to bear the worst news on the ongoing energy crisis devastating South Africa.
Ramokqopa recently revealed that stage 6 power cuts would continue almost indefinitely as the system continues to be under substantial strain.
In a media briefing where he was detailing the implementation of the country’s energy plan, he said: “These unplanned outages resulted in Eskom being forced to implement stage 6, and as Eskom's communication has been saying, it is stage 6 almost indefinitely.”
Last week, while responding to questions in Parliament’s National Council of Provinces, he revealed that South Africa was set to lose more than 850 000 jobs owing to load shedding.
The power crisis continues to have a dire impact on the economic hub of the country, and as a result, most businesses have been forced to close their doors.
The Star