MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY 

Minister Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, has indicated that mines will continue producing coal to keep Eskom generating electricity during lockdown.

There are of course no guarantees that there will not be loadshedding during lockdown, given the state of South Africa’s energy infrastructure.

The impact of loadshedding on South Africa’s capacity to supply essential health care and other services, to produce essential goods, and on households during this time will be very severe. But then, there are many households that do not have access to electricity any way.

Just another reason why sorting out South Africa’s energy sector is so important. It is perhaps the most important industrial development intervention that government can implement, but this pandemic is a reminder that reliable, competitively-priced energy is also a fundamental development issue.