Ramaphosa empowers Electricity Minister

South Africa’s president assigned a range of powers to his electricity minister to enable him to address the nation’s energy crisis.

The announcement comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa faced criticism for delaying giving Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was appointed on March 7, the authority he needs to deal with record blackouts that are hobbling Africa’s most-industrialized economy.

His powers were previously held by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

“This proclamation will provide the minister of electricity with the powers necessary to direct the procurement of new generation capacity and ensure the security of supply,” the presidency said in a statement on Friday.

Among the powers assigned to Ramokgopa is the ability to determine the types of energy sources from which electricity must be generated, according to the statement.