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The Department of Energy and Electricity is the department of the South African government responsible for energy policy. The department manages energy resources in South Africa and is responsible for ensuring the exploration, development, processing, utilisation of those resources.

History

It was established in May 2009 when the former Department of Minerals and Energy was divided into the Department of Energy and the Department of Mineral Resources. The Department of Energy would create two main branches. An Electricity and Nuclear Branch to manage the country's electricity industry and nuclear energy. A Hydrocarbons and Energy Planning Branch managed coal, gas, liquid fuels, energy efficiency, renewable energy sectors while also managing the country's energy planning and an energy database.

The minister of energy gained a deputy minister from 31 October 2010.

From 2012 to 2014, the Minister of Energy was Ben Martins and his deputy was Barbara Thompson. Tina Joemat-Pettersson MP had been the Minister of Energy. She was previously the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries from 2009 to 2014. After Tine Joemat-Petterson was asked to leave, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane was appointed. This only lasted 7 months before the next reshuffle and the appointment of David Mahlobo. His appointment was potentially linked to securing the planned Russian nuclear deal - a country he had just visited as Minister of State Security.

In the 2016/2017 budget the department had a budget of R7,545 million and a staff complement of 622 civil servants.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Jeff Radebe as Minister as part of his cabinet reshuffle on 26 January 2018.

In August 2018, the Department of Energy released a draft of South Africa's updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), the plan which seeks to meet the country's energy consumption demands, for public comment. The current plan dropped proposals for expansion of the number of nuclear plants in the country, focusing instead on expanding the production of renewable energy and creating two new coal power plants.

Appointing his second cabinet on 29 May 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the energy portfolio would be merged with the minerals portfolio, as it had been before Zuma's tenure. Soon after the ministries were merged into the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, the respective departments were likewise merged into the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

During his State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2023, Ramaphosa announced his intention to appoint a minister of electricity, based in the presidency, to oversee all aspects of the country's response to the ongoing electricity crisis, including leading the National Energy Crisis Committee. The first minister in the presidency for electricity, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle on 6 March 2023.

Among other things, the minister of electricity had responsibility for procurement of new electricity generation capacity. However, he served alongside the incumbent mineral resources and energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, and there was uncertainty about the delineation of functions between them – especially given that a third minister, the minister of public enterprises, oversaw Eskom.

On 30 June 2024, appointing his third cabinet, Ramaphosa announced that the relevant ministries would be reconfigured: energy would be detached from the mineral resources portfolio and become the sole prerogative of a new minister of electricity and energy.

References

1. ^ "South African Yearbook 2009/10 Energy" (PDF). South African Government Communications and Information System. 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
2. "Zuma Appoints Deputy Ministers of Education, Energy in S. Africa". Bloomberg.com. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
3. "Statement by President Jacob Zuma on the appointment of the new Cabinet". South African Government Information. 10 May 2009. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
4. Groenewald, Yolandi. "David Mahlobo, the nuclear deal's new best friend?". Business. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
5. "Vote 26: Energy" (PDF). Estimates of National Expenditure 2016. Pretoria: National Treasury. 24 February 2016. ISBN 978-0-621-44244-1. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
6. "South African government releases Integrated Resource Plan draft". Africa Oil and Power. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
7. Melanie Gosling. "Draft energy IRP welcomed, but some doubts remain". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
8. "President Cyril Ramaphosa announces changes to the National Executive". South African Government. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
9. "President Cyril Ramaphosa announces reconfigured departments". South African government. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
10. "Sona: Ramaphosa announces state of disaster, new electricity minister to tackle energy crisis". The Mail & Guardian. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
11. "Ramaphosa's new 'electricity minister' is coming whether you like it or not". BusinessTECH. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
12. "Minister of Electricity to focus solely on resolving load shedding". SAnews. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
13. Haffajee, Ferial (6 March 2023). "The shuffle: Can Ramaphosa's new Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, turn around a country without power?". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
14. Ramaphosa, Cyril (6 March 2023). "Full text: President Ramaphosa's Cabinet reshuffle". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
15. "Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa appointed Minister of Electricity in the Presidency". SAnews. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
16. Stoddard, Ed (26 May 2023). "Empowered: Ramaphosa transfers responsibility for new power generation to Ramokgopa, pulling plug on Mantashe". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
17. "Ramokgopa mix was a ministerial trifecta too far". Business Day. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
18. "Is Kgosientsho Ramokgopa a powerless power minister?". Miningreview.com. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
19. "Ramaphosa announces new cabinet – these are all the new ministers and deputies". BusinessTech. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.

External links

• Official website

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