The ANC decision to give electricity minister Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramokgopa powers to deal directly with the Eskom board and its executive is correct.
This is according to mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe, who on Saturday backed his colleague Ramokgopa after the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) decided that President Cyril Ramaphosa must expedite giving Ramokgopa powers to directly deal with the entity’s board and its executive.
Ramokgopa is said to have told ANC NWC that he was unable to effectively do his job as he has to go through public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan every time he needs to engage with the board and the executive, which is yet to install a CEO at the power utility.
Mantashe said Ramokgopa would not be able to do his work without the powers that will now have to be taken from Gordhan.
Mantashe found himself at the coalface of such a decision when Ramaphosa had to yank powers from him to give to Ramokgopa. After intense pushback from Mantashe, Ramaphosa ended up only giving Ramokgopa powers in section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act.
Now Mantashe appears to be the biggest proponent of the decision to take powers from Gordhan. The relationship between the two is said to be strained.
“In our initial interactions with Sputla, I relented in giving him powers in section 34(1) and that was giving him a right to do basic things. But he had things that were not falling under my department, that were falling under other departments, of talking to the board, the executive,” said Mantashe.
“Now if you can't talk to the board or the executive and we want you to deal with load-shedding, it can't work. So the powers of dealing with everybody in Eskom for Sputla is a correct decision. It's an enabling decision.”
Ramaphosa said the decision to delegate tasks to ministers was his and he was now dealing with the issue relating to handing more powers to Ramokgopa.
“Initially we had issues that we needed to address with the minister of minerals and energy and they were solved. We have issues that need to be addressed and straightened out — and it’s just really a way of working; it’s not the big storm that you guys in the media are talking about. We work so well, we are colleagues, we have a collegiate spirit and disposition, so things are being addressed — and you wait and see,” said Ramaphosa.
It’s power relations, it’s fights. Everyone wants to keep their powers but it makes Ramokgopa’s job very difficult
— ANC NEC member
Asked when this decision will be made, Ramaphosa simply said: “Watch the space.”
Two ANC national executive committee (NEC) members said the discussions around handing Ramokgopa more powers were tense.
“The NEC was very clear, it doesn’t even want to negotiate. The essence is that the separation must happen in terms of his powers because they were not necessarily confirmed. Besides coordination and whatever, he can’t make major decisions,” said one of the insiders.
“The NEC decided that he must be given powers to make those decisions. It was not an easy discussion, though. It’s power relations, it’s fights. Everyone wants to keep their powers but it makes Ramokgopa’s job very difficult.
“The NEC was very much unhappy and they expressed that they feel that Gordhan is a law unto himself. Our egos were not spared there, they moered us there, simply put — and all of us. The language was more like, 'You guys [must] stand up, shape up and work.'”
Ramokgopa this week told the parliamentary portfolio committee on public enterprises he was expecting Ramaphosa to give him these powers within the next few days. Having to go via Gordhan every time he wants access to the board was not helpful, he said.
“I’m responsible for section 34(1), which speaks to the determination of new generation and capacity ... The president is resolving between myself and minister Gordhan in the clearest form the degree to which I’m able to engage with the Eskom board because hitherto I have to go through minister Gordhan,” said Ramokgopa.
“He has been helpful in facilitating that but at times I think it’s important I have direct access, so the president is seized with that. I’m confident that in the next seven days or so he will be able to make that determination.”
TimesLIVE Premium understands that Ramokgopa, Mantashe and Gordhan told the cabinet meeting on Thursday they have found a way to effectively work together in finding a solution to ending load-shedding.
“There was a concern that because Ramokgopa does not have powers to control Eskom, it means whatever progress he makes is hindered by Eskom dragging their feet and now he can’t direct them [because he has no powers],” a cabinet insider said.
“The response, from the three of them, was that the Mozambique issue and any other acquisition is sorted, we have agreed on how we are going to coordinate our work, so you will no longer have a situation where a decision is made and Eskom drags its feet. That response was led by Ramokgopa himself.
“Ramokgopa could always engage with Eskom on its maintenance programme and others. The problem was the things that needed the Eskom board. That’s what they are saying it’s sorted, the three of them. They were adding on each other’s comments there.”
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