Urgent electricity bill – key to solving SA’s power crisis – finally tabled after delays

News24 reports on the South Africa’s Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill, an urgent piece of legislation that is key to overcoming SA’s energy crisis. It has finally been tabled in Parliament nearly five months after being approved by Cabinet. There are significant doubts that the bill, which is a crucial next step in the unbundling of Eskom and establishing a competitive electricity market, will be processed through Parliament before the end of the current administration. According to Zet Luzipo, chair of the mineral resources and energy portfolio committee, this is due to the possibly “highly contested” nature of the legislation and the number of lengthy and likely politicised public hearings that need to occur. Legislation that is not completed before Parliament is dissolved prior to an election must be started afresh.