By: Natasha Archary
Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan is set to appeal the North Gauteng High Court ruling over a loadshedding exemption for key facilities.
On Monday, 08 May, Gordhan, through his office, released a statement expressing “serious concerns” about the implications the court ruling will have on the current efforts to stabilise the national grid and get the country out of loadshedding.
“The Department has studied the ruling and has determined through legal advice that the prudent step to take is to lodge an appeal to set aside the ruling and allow for the ongoing efforts to end loadshedding to proceed without putting undue risk on the country’s grid infrastructure.
While the Department respects the independence of the courts, in this case the department believes that the judgement would have unintended consequences and undermine the very efforts to balance the protection of the rights that were ventilated in this case, with the need to stabilize and protect our grid infrastructure.”
The North Gauteng High Court had on Friday, 05 May ruled that Eskom and Gordhan have 60-days to ensure that hospitals, clinics, 23 000 public schools and police stations are exempt from loadshedding.
According to the court ruling, there were repeated breaches by the state of its constitutional and statutory duties which infringe on citizen’s rights to healthcare, security and education.
Gordhan’s disastrous tenure as Public Enterprises Minister
Despite the Minister claiming that there are efforts made to end loadshedding, the country is currently experiencing Stage 6 rolling blackouts which have been consistent since last year.
Gordhan has, in a damning report by the Auditor General, been exposed for his disastrous tenure as Minister of Public Enterprises, for his deliberate destruction of State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs).
The Minister’s incompetence to manage the nation’s public enterprises were detailed to include maladministration and poor governance of Eskom, South African Airways (SAA), and Transnet.
