South Africa declares "national state of disaster" over the energy crisis

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President Cyril Ramaphosa, has declared a 'state of disaster' over the country’s energy crisis in his state of the nation address. This measure would enable the government to accelerate its response, and announced plans to give tax breaks to businesses and households that generate their own solar power. He warned that the power cuts that have hit Africa’s most industrial nation every day this year were “an existential threat to our economy and our social fabric”. (Picture: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his 2023 state-of-the-nation address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall in Cape Town on February 9, 2023. Picture Credit: Getty Images).