- Ms Maropene Ramokgopa has confirmed that the shareholder representative of Eskom will now be Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
In his Cabinet appointment address, South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that there will no longer be a Ministry of Public Enterprises. “The coordination of the relevant public enterprises will be located in the Presidency during the process of implementing a new shareholder model,” the President said.
The country’s state-owned energy utility, Eskom, fell under the Ministry of Public Enterprises as its shareholder. Ironically, the Ministry of Energy is responsible for new generation energy procurement with Eskom as the off-taker. In January last year, ANC resolved to move the country’s state-owned energy utility, Eskom, from the Ministry of Public Enterprises to the Ministry of Energy.
South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa, has been appointed to oversee the establishment of a state holding company for State Owned Entities (SOE’s). The companies previously supervised by the Department of Public Enterprises will be shifted to their policy departments. She has now confirmed that the shareholder representative of Eskom will be Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
The move is significant as it aligns the country’s energy sector under one dedicated roof for the first time. This will allow a more co-ordinated approach in dealing with the country’s energy transition by matching the country’s energy needs with the challenges that Eskom faces in the form new power generation and transmission procurement, rectifying the flawed Draft 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) plus devising a proper and legally compliant Integrated Energy Plan.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
