Who is Kgosientso Ramokgopa? 5 things you need to know about rumoured minister of electricity

While President Cyril Ramaphosa is mum on who will be named electricity minister, speculation is rife that head of infrastructure in the presidency Kgosientso Ramokgopa is likely to be appointed.

Ramaphosa announced he would appoint a minister of electricity during his recent state of the nation address, saying the minister would deal specifically with the power crisis. It is unclear when he will appoint the new minister.

City Press reported Ramokgopa is Ramaphosa’s preferred candidate. However, the publication said there are two options for Ramokgopa: apply for the Eskom CEO position or put his name in the hat for electricity minister.

Outgoing Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter is set to leave at the end of March. He stepped down from the post amid criticism over his handling of the load-shedding crisis.

Here are five things you need to know about Ramokgopa:

Head of infrastructure

Ramokgopa was Tshwane mayor from 2010 to 2016. He was also a member of the executive council in the Gauteng government in 2019.

He was MEC for economic development, agriculture, and environment for less than five months before he resigned amid reported pressure from the ANC to replace a male MEC with a woman.

He works in the presidency as head of investment and infrastructure.

Qualifications

Ramokgopa holds a number of academic qualifications, including a BSc civil engineering from the University of Durban Westville (now a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal), Master of public administration (University of Pretoria) and Master of business leadership (Unisa).

He also has a certificate in executive development from Stellenbosch University and a PhD in public affairs from the University of Pretoria.

Previous positions  

Ramokgopa served as leader of the South African Student Congress, the ANC Youth League at the University of Durban Westville and the ANC branch in Atteridgeville, and as ANC ward 51 councillor from 2000 to 2005. 

He served as CEO of the Metropolitan Trading Company, an entity of the City of Johannesburg, CEO of the Johannesburg Market, and deputy chairperson of the Board of Trade and Investment in Limpopo.

Load-shedding ‘no longer a crisis but an emergency’

In a 37-page document titled SA’s Infrastructure Emergency: An Urgent and Collaborative Intervention, Ramokgopa said the country is headed for economic collapse, including water and port infrastructure.

He said energy provision was government’s biggest failing.

“In terms of the state of energy, it is no longer a crisis but rather an emergency. The country’s inability to provide sustainable and reliable sources of power has long posed an immediate risk, with the situation drastically deteriorating daily,” Ramokgopa wrote.

Minister could cost taxpayers as much as R38m a year

According to the DA, the new minister will cost taxpayers as much as R38m a year.

DA MP Leon Schreiber, who shared his calculations with the Sunday Times, said the figures for the minister of electricity are based on averages and the assumption Ramaphosa would also appoint a deputy minister of electricity.

He took into account parliamentary replies that found almost R39m and R31m were spent on mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe and public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan and their deputies. 

It includes the cost of VIP protection (R8m a year for the minister and their deputy), the salaries of the minister (R2.47m per year) and deputy minister (R2m), and four luxury vehicles (two for each minister and two for their deputies) at a combined cost of R3.2m. 

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