Chester Missing’s load-shedding laugh: Ramaphosa is at the G7 to charge his phone

While South Africans battled a cold and dark winter night on Tuesday thanks to stage 6 load-shedding, puppet Chester Missing claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa was at the G7 Summit “charging his phone”.

Eskom implemented stage 6 blackouts from 4pm on Tuesday after unprotected strikes led to staff shortages and delays in maintenance and repairs.

South Africans vented their frustration about the escalating power outages, with many blaming the power utility’s management and others the striking workers.

The hilarious political analyst tried to lighten the mood by claiming Ramaphosa had left the country before load-shedding impacted him directly.

“Ramaphosa owes it to the nation to admit the reason he’s at the G7 summit is actually so he can charge his phone,” he said.

The president jetted into Germany last week to attended the G7 Leaders’ Summit, where he spoke and participated in forums on several key international issues, including climate change, agriculture, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war.

While he was discussing energy issues around the world, his country was going through the most.

Despite a court interdict to stop illegal strike action at Eskom power stations, workers continued to picket.

Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan said the unprotected industrial action led to Eskom taking the country to level 6 load-shedding, but there would be “some level of normality” on Wednesday after a meeting between the power utility and unions representing striking workers.

The National Union of Mineworkers and National Union of Metalworkers of SA  announced on Tuesday afternoon they had made progress in wage talks and called on their members to return to work.

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