These are the specified essential infrastructure and services that may be exempted from load-shedding

Several essential infrastructures may be exempted or granted reduced load-shedding schedules. 

This comes after cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkozasana Dlamini-Zuma gazetted the regulations for the energy crisis national state of disaster on Tuesday. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the national state of disaster during his state of the nation address. 

According to the co-operative governance and traditional affairs department, the regulations aim to assist, protect and provide relief to the public while protecting property, preventing and combating disruption and dealing with the destructive nature. 

Other effects of the disaster include reducing and managing the impact of load-shedding on service delivery to support life-saving and specified essential infrastructure, providing measures to enable the connection of new generation of electricity and improving Eskom’s plant performance.

Infrastructures that may be exempted or granted reduced load-shedding

• health infrastructure, including military health facilities;
• water infrastructure, including water treatment plants;
• rail and ports infrastructure;
• food production and food storage facilities where feasible, and;
• critical electronic communications and broadcasting infrastructure.

Ministerial powers

Cabinet ministers can issue the directions within their area of focus to address the electricity shortfall and prevent an escalation of the energy crisis to where it has a worse impact on society and the economy.

“Ministers can grant exemptions from load-shedding or reduced load-shedding schedules to specified essential infrastructure and services where technically feasible, in alignment with the requirements and obligations of the system operator and only to the extent that such exemptions or reductions would not result in an increased risk of higher stages of load-shedding,” said the department. 

‘Extraordinary measures’

Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said government is confident regulations will provide the extraordinary measures required to deal with energy constraints. 

“These regulations come into operation on the date of publication in the Government Gazette. The development of the regulations is the result of extensive consultations between key role players across all spheres of government. It represents the best available options appropriate to the situation in which the country finds itself and within the limited available resources available to address our energy challenges.”

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