The National Dialogue is crucial for South Africa's future, but must remain grounded in addressing pressing realities, particularly the energy crisis.

As I write, the National Dialogue is in progress. While there is little doubt that South Africa's future needs to be reset through dialogue, it is essential that it does not get detached from the hard realities and tough challenges we face as a nation. Trust does not get rebuilt with grand statements about a shared future as inequalities get worse; it gets built by making decisions that result in actual improvements in the quality of daily life. This is particularly true of our energy challenges. Energy affects the daily life of every South African.

No one will disagree that load shedding has not only crippled our economy since the power crisis began in 2008; it also engendered an atmosphere of disillusionment, despair and even helplessness. After all, there are kids finishing school now who have never had a year without load shedding. For them, dysfunction has been normalised. And yet, we expect them to be hopeful about the future.

The tide, of course, turned in mid-2022 when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the Energy Action Plan (EAP), the appointment of Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as (initially) Minister of Electricity in the Presidency (confirmed after the May elections as Minister of Energy and...