WATCH: SA will become a failed state if government fails to fix load shedding and curb graft – but ANC won’t be ousted, says Fikile Mbalula

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula Photographer Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula Photographer Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)

Published May 24, 2023

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ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, has conceded that the government’s failure to find a solution to load shedding will affect the fortunes of the governing party.

In an interview with the BBC's HARDtalk with Stephen Sackur, Mbalula said the ANC had given government and SA ministers a mandate that load shedding must be done away with before the end of the year.

“This load shedding has just made a mess of our country and projected us as something else,” he said.

Mbalula acknowledged the cost that load shedding was having on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), adding that the country could not afford the loss.

“That is why we are focused on dealing with it,” he said.

@news_livesa “If Loadshedding & the power crisis continues it will bring the ANC down won't it” Asked Stephen Sackur “ if ever it is not dealt with decisive it will affect us but it will not take ANC totally out of power” ANC SG Fikile Mbalula #anc #ancsg #fikilembalula #mbalula #2024election #2024elections #fikilembalula #eskom #loadsheding #loadsheddinginsouthafrica #bbc #sg #eskomsa #mbalulabbc #bbchardtalk #newslivesa #newslive #mbalulaminister😂😂😂 #cyrilramaphosa ♬ original sound - news_liveSA

Referring the load shedding as SA’s Achilles heel, Mbalula added that load shedding would affect the fortunes of the ANC to register outright majority.

“If it is not dealt with decisively, it will affect (the party) but it will not take the ANC totally out of power,” he told Sackur.

SA is currently on Stages 4 and 5 of load shedding.

Picture: Eskom

Mbalula further spoke about corruption in SA.

He said if certain things were not resolved, SA would become a failed state.

"But we are not journeying towards that direction. South Africa is undergoing challenges like any other country, but I think to put it into the category of a failed state is an exaggeration," Mbalula said.

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