South Africa Gets New Power Minister

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a former mayor, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, to the newly created position of electricity minister.

This comes as an effort to address the country’s long-running power crisis.

The new minister faces two vast challenges, which include power cuts of up to 12 hours a day leading to the government declaring a national disaster and allegations of high-level corruption at the state-run energy giant Eskom.

Meanwhile, the company’s former chief executive recently told the media that senior politicians were looting the firm.

Report says Eskom is massively in debt – almost $24bn in the red.

The rolling power cuts are strangling the economy. Some say people’s fury over the blackouts might even cost the governing party ANC next year’s election.

BBC/Christopher Ojilere