Govt's failure to prevent load shedding breached Constitution, basic human rights, court rules

Government's numerous avoidable failures, including not preventing state capture at Eskom, caused load shedding, infringing on South Africans’ basic rights in breach of the Constitution, according to a blistering ruling handed by the High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

The ruling, penned by Judge Norman Davis on behalf of a full bench of judges, also ordered Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to ensure by the end of January next year that "there shall be sufficient supply or generation of electricity to prevent any interruption of supply as a result of load shedding" to all public health facilities, all public schools, and the SA Police Service and police stations.