“We Deserve Better”: What the Energy Minister Said (and Didn’t Say) About the July 13 Power Interruption
— And why his words hit different when you’re sitting in the dark.
-It was 8:47 p.m. when the lights went out.
Again.
I was halfway through cooking rice. My phone was on 19%. My little nephew yelled from the next room:
> “Uncle! Is this dumsor?”
I sighed. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Because no matter what they call it — “temporary interruption,” “system overload,” “scheduled maintenance” — it still feels the same. Dark. Hot. Frustrating.
So when I saw the headline flash across my phone the next morning:
“VIDEO: Watch what the Energy Minister said about the July 13 power interruption” — you know I had to click.
-What He Said
The Energy Minister came out to calm nerves after last night’s blackout. In his statement (which you can watch for yourself), he described the July 13 outage as a “technical fault” on part of the transmission infrastructure.
“We regret the inconvenience,” he said.
“Engineers worked throughout the night to restore power.”
He assured us that the issue was being addressed and that steps were being taken to prevent a recurrence.
Which… okay.
Fine.
We’ve heard that before.
-What It Felt Like, Though…
Sitting there in the dark last night — fanning myself with a piece of cardboard, swatting mosquitoes, worrying about everything in the fridge going bad — his words this morning felt… hollow.
Because in my experience, it’s not just about the lights going off.
It’s about the fact that it keeps happening.
It’s about how small business owners lose money.
It’s about how kids can’t finish their homework.
It’s about how people with health conditions can’t keep their medicine cool or operate their devices.
And it’s about how no one in charge seems to really get it — because their generators are always on.
-Here’s What I’ve Noticed Lately…
Every time there’s an outage, the explanation is a little different.
But the feeling stays the same.
Confusion.
Frustration.
And eventually… resignation.
We just… adjust.
Light candles. Power down. Hope it doesn’t last all night.
And honestly? That’s the saddest part — how used to it we’ve become.
-So What Now?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers.
But here’s what I think:
We need transparency. Tell us the real cause — even if it’s embarrassing.
We need timelines. What’s being fixed? When? How will it help?
We need accountability. If someone dropped the ball, let’s hear about it.
We need empathy. Don’t just tell us to “be patient.” You sit in the heat for three hours and see how patient you feel.
-Final Thought
I watched the Minister’s video twice.
He seemed sincere. And maybe he really believes what he’s saying.
But until we stop hearing the same reassurances after every blackout, it’s hard not to roll our eyes.
So I can’t help but wonder:
How many more “temporary interruptions” before we demand something permanent — like change?
What if… next time the lights come back on, they stay on?