Government committed to tackling energy crisis: S. Africa President

JOHANNESBURG, March 21 (Xinhua) -- With rolling power outages hitting South Africa for over a week, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government is committed to tackling the Energy crisis affecting the country.

Addressing thousands commemorating Human Rights Day in Sharpeville, Gauteng on Thursday, Ramaphosa acknowledged the effects of the crisis on the economy.

"We are currently facing a severe Energy crisis that is having a profound impact on the lives of our people and our economy," he said.

Ramaphosa said resolving the problem is being prioritized.

"Restoring a reliable supply of electricity and ensuring that we have a sustainable model for affordable Energy is one of our urgent priorities," he said.

"We will overcome the electricity crisis just as we will overcome unemployment, poverty and corruption."

South Africa is suffering from some of the worst power cuts in recent years.

Investment banking company Goldman Sachs said if the current intensity of load-shedding were to persist in 2019, it could subtract up to about 0.9 percentage points from the annual growth.

The World Bank projected South Africa's economy growth rate in 2019 at 1.3 percent.