A government is out of service

Egypt Independent

3 days ago

Memories from the recent past paint a different picture.
Back in Maher Abaza's day, the Ministry of Electricity meticulously performed maintenance on power stations before the summer's onset. Similarly, the Ministry of Housing, under Hasaballah al-Kafrawy, diligently oversaw maintenance at cement factories.
Life felt smoother then.
Now, we're suddenly facing out ministries seemingly neglecting basic maintenance. The power grid has failed, plunging Giza into darkness and cutting off its water supply. This has triggered an internal migration to Cairo and its suburbs, as people flee the widespread power and water outages.
Amidst all this, all we heard was a Ministry of Electricity plan to ensure uninterrupted power supply and prevent a repeat of Giza's crisis. We were told two new circuits were added to 'Geziret al-Dahab,' capable of handling double the current load, up to 240 megawatts.
We also heard reports of an official, when asked by citizens when the power would return, simply stating, 'God knows.'
The glaring question is: Where was the ministry before the summer crisis hit? Did the government focus solely on new developments, completely forgetting the older areas?
Where was this crucial ministry when the Geziret al-Dahab transformer station went out of service? And speaking of going 'out of service,' where was the Ministry of Communications when Ramses exchange failed, bringing down communications across Egypt?
Has the entire government simply gone offline?
I suspect if I were to check every ministry, I'd find them all 'out of service.'
The problem isn't just with electricity or communications. It extends to Irrigation, Agriculture, and Housing—a ministry now building luxury homes and neglecting affordable housing, seemingly more interested in market transactions than its core mission of providing social housing for the less fortunate.
I simply cannot explain this strange, unchanging situation in Egypt, where this government – with all its shortcomings – remains entrenched. Is the explanation that it will cling on 'until our last breath,' as the Minister of Transport once declared, 'I'm not leaving, I'm staying'?
Where does the government and its ministers draw such power? How can these crises keep recurring while the same government remains in place?
The Governor of Giza was the only one to issue an apology after the recent crisis, stating it was 'difficult for citizens to live without water and electricity in these harsh conditions.'
Yet, we now discover the crisis is repeating at least twice daily, leading to the breakdown of water pumps and electrical appliances in homes.
Who will compensate citizens for this damage, and who will provide them with replacement devices?!
Finally, are we to be satisfied that a responsible source within the Ministry of Electricity stated the ministry has prepared an urgent plan to definitively end the power outage issues in Giza and its surrounding areas? Should we simply wait longer and continue living in darkness?
What has happened to Egypt under this current government? How have we reached a point where we long to go back in time, to the days of Maher Abaza, al-Kafrawy, and Soliman Metwally? There is a critical flaw that must be addressed, and swiftly.
About the author:
A seasoned journalist since 1991, Mohamed Amin has contributed to numerous publications, including Al-Naba newspaper, and served as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse (AFP).
His career trajectory includes several prominent editorial roles, culminating in his appointment as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper in 2016.
He has also held the position of Editor-in-Chief for the Cairo-based October Magazine in July 2017.