MEET THE MINISTER OF ELECTRICITY: DR KGOSIENTSHO “SPUTLA” RAMOKGOPA

On Monday, March 6th, 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a cabinet reshuffle, which included the appointment of a new minister responsible for electricity. The announcement was delayed for more than an hour, but finally, Ramaphosa revealed his new National Executive.

In his State of the Nation Address and and the Budget Speech last month, Ramaphosa made commitments to ensuring that the government is properly capacitated and directed towards achieving its objectives.

As part of this, he has appointed Dr Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramokgopa as the new Minister of Electricity.

Ramokgopa is a civil engineer by profession and has a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Durban-Westville, as well as Master’s degrees in public administration and business leadership, and a PhD in public affairs. Before his appointment as Minister of Electricity, he was working in the Presidency as Head of Investment and Infrastructure.

The newly appointed Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. The 48-year-old civil engineer has previously served as the Mayor of Tshwane from 2010 to 2016, where he implemented a number of infrastructure development projects and initiatives aimed at improving service delivery in the city.

After his tenure as Mayor, Ramokgopa was a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Economic Development, Agriculture, and Environment in Gauteng. In this role, he was responsible for driving economic growth and development in the province, as well as overseeing environmental policies and programs.

Ramokgopa’s experience in both local and provincial government positions makes him well-suited to his new role as Minister of Electricity. His extensive knowledge of infrastructure development and economic growth will be critical in tackling the country’s ongoing electricity crisis, and ensuring that the government’s commitments to provide reliable and affordable electricity are met.

Ramokgopa has a challenging task ahead of him, as his responsibility is to ensure that the country has enough electricity to meet the needs of its people. Load shedding has been a major issue for South Africa in recent years, with frequent power cuts causing disruptions and economic losses. Ramaphosa said that Ramokgopa would facilitate the coordination of the numerous departments and entities involved in the crisis response, work with Eskom leadership to turn around the performance of existing power stations, and accelerate procurement of new generation capacity.

Ramaphosa also announced several other changes to the National executive:

⁃ Mr Paul Mashatile is the Deputy President replacing David Mabuza.

⁃ Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni is Minister in the Presidency replacing Mondli Gungubele

⁃ Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga is Minister of Transport replacing Fikile Mbalula.

⁃ Ms Patricia de Lille is Minister of Tourism replacing Lindiwe Sisulu

⁃ Mr Zizi Kodwa is Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture replacing Nathi Mthethwa

⁃ Ms Noxolo Kiviet is Minister of Public Service and Administration replacing Thulani Nxesi (who was acting in the post);

⁃ Ms Thembi Nkadimeng is Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs replacing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

⁃ Mr Mondli Gungubele is Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies replacing Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

⁃ Ms Maropene Ramokgopa is Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (new Ministry);

⁃ Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities replacing Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

⁃ Mr Sihle Zikalala is Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure replacing Ms Patricia de Lille

⁃ Ms Thembi Nkadimeng is Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs replacing Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

Ministers that didn’t make the cut are Nathi Mthethwa, Lindiwe Sisulu and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

Ramaphosa emphasized that all parts of the government are focused on addressing the issues that concern South Africans the most, including load shedding, unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living, and crime and corruption.

In conclusion, the appointment of Dr Kgosientsho “Sputla” Ramokgopa as the new Minister of Electricity is a significant development in South Africa’s energy sector. As a civil engineer with a wealth of experience in the government, Ramokgopa is well-positioned to take on the challenges of his new role and ensure that South Africa has a stable and sustainable electricity supply.

“I am humbled by the vote of confidence given to me by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa as Minister of Electricity. We have a mammoth task ahead of us to resolve the energy crisis that confronts our country. In the immediate, we have a primary responsibility to turn around the performance of existing power stations and stabilize our energy supply, whilst adding new capacity to the grid.”
Tweeted Ramokgopa on his official Twitter account shortly after the
announcement.