President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected claims that the expected appointment of a minister of electricity would add more confusion to the current energy cluster ministers.
If anything, Ramaphosa said, the minister in the presidency responsible for electricity will help the government respond faster to resolve load shedding.
"The minister will be responsible for driving the various actions that are being coordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee to end load shedding as a matter of urgency. The reality is that the resolution of the energy crisis requires effective coordination across several departments and public entities."
The minister would help fast-track a maintenance schedule for the country's power stations and monitor the breakdowns that keep plunging the nation into darkness.
The president said achieving results quickly required the "undivided attention of a political principal who does not need to split time and energies among different important responsibilities".
Ramaphosa said the minister of electricity will not be involved in ongoing efforts to unbundle Eskom, nor in the development of national energy policy.
"The minister of electricity will be focused day in and day out only on addressing the load shedding crisis, working together with the management of Eskom and the board. The minister will be leading the National Energy Crisis Committee and interacting with all other departments in the spirit of cooperative governance."
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The president assured the unions and his ANC critics that the country's $8.5 billion Just Energy Transition to renewable energy sources will not lead to coal mines being abandoned.
"We need to dispel this idea that we are abandoning coal as a fuel source. We should all remember that coal-fired power stations provide 80% of our energy source and will therefore continue to provide the bulk of our 'base load' supply into the future."
Minerals and energy minister Gwede Mantashe will remain responsible for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the energy sector.
Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan remains the shareholder representative at Eskom responsible for the unbundling of the R260 billion company.
With winter months approaching, Mantashe said the appointment of the new minister - which he dubbed a "project manager" - should be done as soon as possible.
