The Minister of Electricity, who is also an African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee (NEC) member, is convinced that South Africa's energy crisis cost the ANC votes.

BLAME IT ON LOADSHEDDING 

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has blamed the party's poor performance in the elections on the ongoing energy crisis. Ramokgopa said he strongly believes the decommissioning of the Komati coal power plant in Mpumalanga cost the ANC numbers at the polls. "As a result of that, constituencies and communities drawing from the experiences of Komati, the most painful experience, have decided to desert this movement and go somewhere else so that they can secure their future. We have not begun to understand what is that political economy of energy."

THE ANC WILL LEARN

Two weeks before the elections, Komati residents threatened to boycott the ANC when they cast their votes stating that they make empty promises. ANC party agent Poppy Vilakazi said residents were angry and gave them a cold shoulder when they were campaigning. Komati is a village in the shadow of a closed power plant in Mpumalanga, an ANC stronghold in the country's coal belt. They feel the ANC let them down by allowing this power station to close. Mpumalanga is the heart of the coal industry, producing at least 80% of the country's power supply. Meanwhile, Ramokgopa said he is in defence of the decision to keep the coal plants up and running. This is despite the move to renewable energy over climate concerns. "But in that equation, you must remember that you need to protect the South African economy. The South African economy is on its knees because of loadshedding."