Cape Town - “Tell the public what we are doing to resolve the (energy) problem we are in,” were the words of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula in his keynote address at the ANC’s energy dialogue on Wednesday at the University of Johannesburg, where a range of stakeholders in the energy sector gathered.
Speakers, including the ANC’s national chairperson and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, as well as academics, unions and experts, discussed “immediate and workable solutions” to the ongoing electricity crisis.
The aim of the dialogue was to create a broader platform for an ANC-led process to allow those in the energy field to meet and talk frankly about the energy situation in the country, and ultimately create more public engagements on the matter as pressure mounts with blackouts across the nation worsening.
Ironically, the lights went out during Mbalula’s address where he spoke about the need to resolve the electricity crisis now and in the future, and their intention to host more dialogues to spur solutions and action.
“Working together with the people of our country we will find a lasting solution to the energy problem. We usually engage with the people during elections to present our manifesto and then it’s gone … We are not solution-oriented and don’t behave like a party that is in power. As much as we are here theorising about the future, we are here as a solution-oriented gathering,” said Mbalula.
Mantashe elaborated on the energy challenges they were dealing with. “This includes reducing carbon emissions by moving from a high carbon emission society to a low carbon emission society, dealing with energy poverty unashamedly … Currently, 88% of South Africans use electricity solely for lighting due to the already high, unaffordable electricity tariffs
“All of this has been exacerbated by the threat of load shedding, which is agitating the nation,” he said.
Mantashe was convinced that resolving load shedding depended on maintenance and servicing of Eskom power stations, purchasing additional electricity across the country’s borders, revitalising emergency procurement of energy, and improving the skills capacity at Eskom.
Gordhan said: “This is a tough period we are going through. Government is very aware and frustrated, like everybody else, about the levels of load shedding happening right now, but there is a lot of hard work going on. The sense of urgency is certainly there, and we will see results sooner rather than later in relation to bringing some of the megawatts back online.”