Minister Ramokgopa Forecasts a Winter Without Loadshedding

• The Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is predicting a winter without loadshedding
• Ramokgopa said that he is planning to provide a detailed outlook for the upcoming winter, next week
• The minister said he expects the country's power plants to perform at the same capacity as last winter

The Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is predicting a loadshedding-free winter for this year. Ramokgopa expects the country's power plants to perform the same as last year, as he sees no reason for their performance to decrease.

What did the Minister say?

Ramokgopa said on the side of the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group meeting in Cape Town on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, that he will provide a full outlook next week. He said that there is no reason for the performance to decrease, implying that the power plants will perform more or less at the same capacity as last year's winter.

He said that during last winter, the country did not have Kusile Unit 6 and Medupi 4, meaning that it did not have the 800MW. He said that the country will have Medupi 4, which has been out for four years, by the end of May. This means that there will be another 800MW. Ramokgopa said that having both Koeberg units would also be beneficial. He anticipated that the Koeberg unit number 1 would come back around July.

The Minister went on to say that the country will have an additional 2,500MW of electricity this winter, and that this was not the case last year.

What you need to know about the Minister of Electricity

• Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa apologised to South Africans for the implementation of Stage 6 loadshedding. Ironically, he appeared to face his power woes during a live interview with SABC News.
• Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa admitted that ordinary South Africans can’t afford electricity. Speaking at the ANC’s lekgotla in Mpumalanga, he assured the public that tariffs would not increase by 35%.
• The power utility implemented Stage 3 and Stage 6 rolling blackouts in succession after multiple generation units failed at three power stations. Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa dismissed claims that the breakdowns were the result of sabotage.
• Eskom marked a major milestone on 21 January 2025, celebrating 300 consecutive days without loadshedding. The state utility said it’s now aiming to reach a full year — 365 days — of uninterrupted power supply.
• South Africans have named Minister of Electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa the 2024 Person of the Year. Voted by Daily Maverick readers, he was recognised for his transparency, accountability, and efforts to keep the country free from loadshedding.

MK party and DA slam return of loadshedding

The Democratic Alliance and the MK Party have slammed the return of loadshedding after nearly 10 months without power cuts.

Eskom said the rolling blackouts were due to unexpected breakdowns, but the DA called the move a devastating blow, while the MK Party blamed the crisis on poor management, sabotage, and corruption.

Source: Briefly News