Western Cape Government working hard to secure services amid severe blackouts | Western Cape Government

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Western Cape Government working hard to secure services amid severe blackouts

18 May 2023

Media release: Western Cape Government working hard to secure services amid severe power blackouts

Premier Alan Winde would like to reassure residents of the Western Cape that the provincial government is continuously working and utilising all available resources to mitigate the impact of severe blackouts on critical services. Premier Winde reiterated, “South Africans are in for a difficult winter as extended rolling blackouts of between stages 4 and 6 remain with us for the foreseeable future”.

“The Western Cape Government (WCG) has allocated significant resources to protect basic services, as far as possible, from persistent blackouts. As the WCG we are working hard to ensure that despite the severity of the blackouts, residents have access to safe drinking water, sewage services, and communications connectivity, that our hospitals and clinics are able to operate, and that learning in our schools continues.”

The WCG’s energy crisis contingency plan is sound with all emergency services on standby should loadshedding further worsen.

At a recent Cabinet meeting, the head of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre gave a briefing on its contingency plan, which is continuously updated. “We are in good hands in the Western Cape, thanks to all our disaster and emergency services stakeholders’ ongoing preparations and incredibly hard work.”

The Premier concluded, “As a caring and responsive government we put the interests of our citizens first. In these grave situations, we will continue to remain vigilant and resilient to get through this crisis”.