Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, offered a public apology to South Africans on Sunday morning as the country once again faces Stage 6 load shedding. Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Gauteng, Ramokgopa acknowledged the frustration felt by citizens and businesses nationwide.
“Please accept our sincerest apologies. With the greatest level of humility, I want to say to the country that we regret that there is a setback,” Ramokgopa said. His remarks came soon after Eskom confirmed that Stage 6 load shedding would persist indefinitely, following the unexpected trip of multiple units at the Camden Power Station.
Ramokgopa emphasized that his ministry continues to follow the Energy Action Plan unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2022. However, he noted that recent technical setbacks have brought new challenges, especially after a breakdown on February 1, 2025, which ended a 300-day streak of stable electricity supply.
The minister detailed the loss of five generation units at the Majuba Power Station—Eskom’s second-largest facility. He explained this forced Eskom to implement Stage 3 load shedding to replenish reserves and investigate the root causes at Majuba. Soon thereafter, four units at Camden Power Station also failed in the early hours of the morning, triggering an escalation to Stage 6.
Addressing speculation about possible sabotage, Ramokgopa dismissed such claims, insisting the current crisis is purely technical. “I want to say to the rest of the country: this is a technical issue. We must not find any reason to manufacture explanations of why we are at Stage 6. We are hoping to get back to normal by the end of the week. There is no sabotage.”
He acknowledged the anger and disappointment of South Africans, highlighting the government’s efforts to resolve the crisis and mitigate its economic fallout. “We should not accept load shedding at any stage,” Ramokgopa said. “We have made decisions in the interest of the greater good. We understand the anger; we feel your pain; we can hear your cries. We will resolve this problem.”
