South Africa: President Ramaphosa Cuts Short Foreign Trips to Address SA's Power Crisis

@SAgovnews / Twitter
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with United States President Joe Biden in Washington D.C. on September 16, 2022.
18 September 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Peter Fabricius

After an urgent virtual meeting with ministers and officials, the President is on his way back to South Africa to 'deal with current Stage 6 load shedding' crippling the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has cut short his international travels to fly home to deal with the Eskom power crisis. His decision follows an urgent virtual meeting that he called with all the relevant Cabinet ministers and senior officials on Sunday, 18 September.

There has been growing political pressure for Ramaphosa to return to South Africa to deal with the power crisis precipitated by several Eskom power units tripping and forcing the parastatal to introduce Stage 6 power cuts. Diesel supplies to power back-up gas turbine plants fell dangerously low early on Sunday.

Ramaphosa met US President Joe Biden on Friday, 16 September, then flew to London ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday, 19 September.

He was scheduled to return to New York after the funeral to attend this week's high-level opening segment of the annual United Nations General Assembly session. But his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya announced on Sunday evening that Ramaphosa had changed his plans.

"The President will no longer be travelling to New York from London. Instead he...

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