Coalition demands Ramaphosa address energy crisis, replace Mantashe

THE Climate Justice Coalition – a coalition of South African trade unions and grassroots, community-based and nonprofit organisations – will march to the Office of the Presidency on Nelson Mandela Day (July 18) to hand over a petition demanding the energy crisis be dealt with.

The petition calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement an emergency renewable energy plan to end load-shedding, to replace Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and otherwise fix the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

With this year likely to be the worst year of load-shedding on record, and fuel prices at an all-time high, members of the coalition are part of a growing public call for urgent development of renewable energy solutions to address South Africa’s energy crisis.

In its petition, the coalition states that South Africa faces a dual energy and climate crisis, “which is deepening our already devastating reality of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

“Yet, the