Pravin Gordhan, who was a South African government minister for many years after beginning his political career opposing apartheid, has died.

A senior South African government minister denied Wednesday there was extensive corruption within the ruling African Nations Congress party in relation to the country’s financially-crippled power utility.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has an urgent meeting scheduled with his Cabinet to discuss an electricity crisis which has led to unprecedented levels of nationwide power blackouts.