Assurances that "everything is being done at the highest level" of government, Eskom and key stakeholders to find an "inclusive solution" to South Africa's electricity problem in the short, medium, and long term, were given by government spokesperson Themba Maseko on Tuesday.

Speaking at a media briefing following the Cabinet meeting, he said that government was confident that a solution was already under way to address the problem.

Maseko explained that Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga presented a variety of proposed solutions around the power crisis to Cabinet, and these would be discussed at the lekgotla, which takes place from Tuesday.

Final decisions regarding which proposals were accepted would be announced after the lekgotla, when concrete plans have been finalised.

"Measures are already under way to consolidate the initiatives from various players, to ensure that a more comprehensive national response is presented to the nation. The strategy for dealing with the electricity supply shortage will be discussed in detail by the lekgotla and an announcement will be made after the meeting," he reiterated.

It was not outlined exactly what proposals were put forward to Cabinet, although energy efficiency measures to reduce demand, optimisation of energy use, incentives, cogeneration plans, and daylight savings were mentioned at the press briefing. No mention of energy rationing systems was made.

Maseko noted that the government was taking the matter "very seriously - as a crisis".

South African parastatal Eskom has struggled to meet the demands for power in the country, which experienced its worst spate of load shedding and rolling black-outs in the last week. Power cuts have enraged consumers across the spectrum, and sparked fears that the country's 6% economic growth target may not be achieved.

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