South Africa\u2019s High Court has ruled that all government hospitals and clinics, state schools and the country\u2019s police buildings be spared from power cuts.<\/p>\n
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan must \u201ctake all reasonable steps within 60 days\u201d to prevent interruption of electricity supply due to rotational blackouts implemented by state-owned utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., according to a ruling by three judges from the court in Pretoria.<\/p>\n
In cases where buildings or sites can\u2019t be isolated from the grid to exempt them from so-called loadshedding, the minister must make arrangements for alternative energy supplies, such as generators.<\/p>\n
The ruling follows an application by opposition parties, labor unions and civil-society groups that also included demands for exemptions for small businesses and agriculture and for electricity-tariff increases to be suspended. Eskom has carried out power cuts on all but one day this year.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, former Eskom Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter warned if the applicants succeed in having the blackouts interdicted, the utility would need to halt essential maintenance that would make the situation worse.<\/p>\n
Cape Town-based News24 reported on the ruling earlier.<\/p>\n