Mashaba blasts state’s stance on power ruling

LOAD shedding remained one of the biggest inhibitors of job creation with thousands of small businesses forced to close as a result, while incidents of crime spiked, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said yesterday.

Mashaba said children were forced to go home when schools could not operate without power and were left without daycare and feeding programmes. “Hospitals and clinics are unable to save lives when the lights go out. This is simply unacceptable.

“The only way for South Africa to finally end load shedding is by taking action to remove the ruling party at the ballot box this year,” he said.

Mashaba was speaking outside the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, where his party sought to oppose the national government and Eskom’s application for leave to appeal against a landmark judgment handed down by the full bench of the court on December 1.

The judgment declared load shedding unconstitutional and ordered the minister of electricity – along with organs of state – to ensure that electricity supply was ensured for public schools, hospitals, and the SAPS.

“Eskom, the president and the minister of electricity specifically want to appeal sections of the ruling which ruled in favour of ActionSA’s request that hospitals, schools and police stations be exempted from experiencing rolling blackouts,” Mashaba said.

“Instead of addressing the concerns raised by the court ruling … the president, the minister and Eskom have rather decided to spend taxpayers’ money to appeal the ruling,” Mashaba said.

“It is our duty to protect these crucial services and it is deeply concerning that the president, the minister, and Eskom simply do not care.”