THABI MADIBA
THE Presidency has hit back against recent media headlines which quoted President Cyril Ramaphosa as saying he did not have a legal duty to provide the country with electricity.
On Tuesday, the Presidency stated that Ramaphosa’s statements made in an affidavit were misrepresented and do not diminish his commitment to end loadshedding as a matter of urgency.
Nineteen litigants, including opposition parties brought a court case against Ramaphosa in respect of the current energy crisis, for failing to uphold the Constitution by not providing electricity.
The President’s opposing statement in the affidavit, which the Presidency says has been misrepresented, relates to the constitutional powers and responsibilities of the President and other government bodies.
Media reported that in his affidavit, Ramaphosa said national government was not constitutionally required to supply electricity. That responsibility, he said, sat with municipalities, at a local level.
The statement seeks to clarify important legal issues about what
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