This is according to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who called the appointment of the ministry a necessary intervention.
“This minister is just like any other minister the president appoints, it’s not a principle issue that it remains there forever. The day he finishes load-shedding, the job is finished,” said Mbalula. “So the minister of electricity is just an intervention. It is not even related to the total configuration of government plans, it is an intervention to address a crisis. And that's what the president wants to do and the ANC now has endorsed that particular decision.”
There have been concerns about Ramaphosa’s decision to move electricity to his office despite the ANC conference resolving that state-owned enterprises should be moved from the department of public enterprises to their respective policy departments.
Mbalula said the ministry is not part of the bigger government plans in terms of the executive.
“There were a lot of misgivings both in the ANC and outside. In the ANC what we know is that people question the minister of electricity issue in relation to the conference decisions. Of course, comrades have the right to raise their views.
“We have since clarified that this is in no way a departure from the conference resolution on the question of reconfiguration of government. So we are clear in relation to that, about reconfiguration, that the electricity minister does not affect that reconfiguration.”
Mbalula and energy minister Gwede Mantashe have previously described the ministry as a “project manager” to manage the crisis.
Mantashe later clarified that the description of the ministry as “project manager” was not aimed at reducing its importance.
“Many people asked what this appointment means? We characterised it as a project management approach in dealing with a crisis. Some people in the media say when we characterise it as project management, we are reducing the ministry and its authority. I think something called school will help them understand that project management is not reductionist. It emphasises urgency of execution and delivery of the project on time.
“When you talk about the project management approach, one understands there are clear time frames, milestones and a critical path which we must not be deviated from,” said Mantashe.
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Electricity minister's job ends when load-shedding ends: Fikile Mbalula
Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times
The appointment of an electricity minister in the Presidency is not a departure from the ANC conference resolution.
The role is aimed solely at dealing with the load-shedding now crippling the country, and as soon the country is out of the crisis, the ministry will cease to exist.
This is according to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who called the appointment of the ministry a necessary intervention.
“This minister is just like any other minister the president appoints, it’s not a principle issue that it remains there forever. The day he finishes load-shedding, the job is finished,” said Mbalula. “So the minister of electricity is just an intervention. It is not even related to the total configuration of government plans, it is an intervention to address a crisis. And that's what the president wants to do and the ANC now has endorsed that particular decision.”
There have been concerns about Ramaphosa’s decision to move electricity to his office despite the ANC conference resolving that state-owned enterprises should be moved from the department of public enterprises to their respective policy departments.
Mbalula said the ministry is not part of the bigger government plans in terms of the executive.
“There were a lot of misgivings both in the ANC and outside. In the ANC what we know is that people question the minister of electricity issue in relation to the conference decisions. Of course, comrades have the right to raise their views.
“We have since clarified that this is in no way a departure from the conference resolution on the question of reconfiguration of government. So we are clear in relation to that, about reconfiguration, that the electricity minister does not affect that reconfiguration.”
Mbalula and energy minister Gwede Mantashe have previously described the ministry as a “project manager” to manage the crisis.
Mantashe later clarified that the description of the ministry as “project manager” was not aimed at reducing its importance.
“Many people asked what this appointment means? We characterised it as a project management approach in dealing with a crisis. Some people in the media say when we characterise it as project management, we are reducing the ministry and its authority. I think something called school will help them understand that project management is not reductionist. It emphasises urgency of execution and delivery of the project on time.
“When you talk about the project management approach, one understands there are clear time frames, milestones and a critical path which we must not be deviated from,” said Mantashe.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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