ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula Addresses South Africa's Energy Crisis, Says ANC Wants to Fix It

• The African National Congress plans to hold more public engagements with citizens to address South Africa's many problems
• ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula acknowledged that the country is in crisis and the ANC wants to fix it
• The Democratic Alliance has threatened to take the ANC out of power if they do not stop loadshedding

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) is eager to host more public engagements with South African citizens to discuss the country's problems.

This comes after the ruling party hosted its Energy Dialogue at the University of Johannesburg on Wednesday, January 25.

The ANC's Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula oversaw the discussion on the energy crisis. According to SABC News, the public engagement was attended by ministers, business leaders, academics and students.

The ANC wants to resolve South Africa's energy crisis

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Mbalula explained that the public engagement platform was created after young people complained about the lack of avenues to discuss the country's problems.

The ANC SG added that the ruling party agreed with people who said the country is in a crisis. Mbalula stated that although the public engagement platform is mostly theory, it is a good start in solving the energy crisis.

"So this platform, as much as we’re theorising about the future, we are solution oriented. We are in a crisis. We agree. We are in a crisis," said Mbalula.

Democratic Alliance accuses the ANC of creating loadshedding

While the ANC hosted its Energy Dialogue, the Democratic Alliance (DA) marched down to Luthuli House to hold the ANC accountable for loadshedding,

DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube told supporters that the party wanted to make it clear to the ANC that loadshedding and blackouts are the result of the ANC's poor governance, corruption and mismanagement, reports SowetanLIVE.

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Gwarube added that since the ANC created the energy problem, it was the ruling party's responsibility to fix it. She went on to warn the ANC that if they do not end loadshedding, the DA would take power from them.

“If you don’t switch on the power, we will take it from you,” said Gwarube.

The "Power to the People" march began at Mary Fitzgerald Square on Wednesday morning.

DA protestors barricaded from sjambok-wielding ANCYL members with fence during Power to the People march

Briefly News previously reported that Johannesburg police have erected a fence in the streets surrounding the African National Congresses' headquarters at Luthuli House to separate Democratic Alliance marchers from ANC Youth League members.

The opposition party is protesting outside Luthuli House as part of its #PowerToThePeopleMarch in opposition to the 18.65% Eskom tariff increase, rolling blackouts and the ANC's cadre deployment policy.

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DA marches to Luthuli House over loadshedding, ANC Youth League plans to defend headquarters

According to SowetanLIVE, ANCYL members have tasked themselves with defending the ruling party's headquarters and some members have armed themselves with sjamboks.

Source: Briefly News