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Media verklaring - 24 Januarie 2023 
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ESKOM – Die ANC se aandadigheid aan die huidige energiekrisis. Voete is gesleep met die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan sedert 2012. Dit is growwe nalatigheid en pligsversuim  
- Inisiatiewe soos AfriForum se voorstelle moet ondersteun word 

See English statement below

ESKOM – Die ANC se aandadigheid aan die huidige energiekrisis. Voete is gesleep met die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan sedert 2012. Dit is growwe nalatigheid en pligsversuim  
- Inisiatiewe soos AfriForum se voorstelle moet ondersteun word 

Dit is opvallend hoe die ANC-regering die laaste weke probeer om alle blaam op Eskom te plaas vir die huidige elektrisiteitskrisis. Dit terwyl ons nou weer ongekende toepassings van tot fase 6 aanbetref. Die skrale troos is dat Suid-Afrika nou om die beurt fase 4 en 5 moet beleef. Beurtkrag is egter ʼn eufemisme vir die huidige en werklike kragkrisis.   

Terwyl President Ramaphosa in Davos moes wees om nuwe investering na ʼn beleggingsonvriendelike Suid-Afrika te lok, moes hy opnuut weer die besoek kanselleer en aandag gee aan die krisis tuis. Die onwillekeurige vraag is egter of die elektrisiteitskrisis die werklike rede was en of die ANC se interne faksiegevegte nie dalk maar die onderliggende rede is nie. Inderhaas en midde in Fase 6 moes die President die Nasionale Energie Krisis Komitee, die raad van Eskom en opposisieleiers ontmoet om aandag te gee aan die krisis. 

Dit is egter nie ʼn nuwe krisis nie, dit het nie oornag ontstaan nie en die ANC regering moet direk verantwoordelik en aanspreeklik gehou word. Op die minste is die ANC regering deur sy kabinetsministers individueel en kollektief aanspreeklik aan pligsversuim.  

Die laaste twee jaar se voortslepende elektrisiteitskrisis kon voorkom word as die ANC-regering sedert 2012 sy eie Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan 2030 nagekom het en uitgevoer het. Ironies genoeg was mnr Cyril Ramaphosa ondervoorsitter van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingskommissie wat in 2012 sy plan aan die regering voorgelê het. Niks wat vandag gebeur kan dus as ʼn skok vir die president of senior lede van die kabinet kom nie. 

In sy oorsig sê die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan op p45 (Uit Engels vertaal) “Die elektrisiteitskrisis van 2008 en ander onlangse ontwikkelings het institusionele swakhede blootgelê wat verband hou met maatskappye in staatsbeheer wat vir netwerkinfrastruktuur verantwoordelik is. Om sulke probleme te voorkom vereis duidelike institusionele reëlings, deursigtige aandeelhouersooreenkomste, duidelike lyne van aanspreeklikheid en gesonde finansiële modelle om volhoubaarheid te verseker. Ons maak aanbevelings in elk van hierdie gebiede.” 

Die kern van die energiebeplanning soos in 2012 uitgewys in die hoofstuk THE ENERGY SECTOR: EMPOWERING SOUTH AFRICA word dan besonder duidelik omskryf op p168:  
“Suid-Afrika sal sowat 29 000 Megawatt (MW) in nuwe krag ontwikkeling tussen 2012 en 2030 moet voorsien om aan die aanvraag te voldoen. 'n Verdere 10 900MW se ou krag kapasiteit sal uit diens gestel word. As gevolg hiervan, moet meer as 40 000 MW se nuwe kragkapasiteit gebou word. Eskom se uitbreidingsprogram sal 10 000 MW se nuwe opwekkingskapasiteit byvoeg by die bestaande stelsel. Daar is egter nog 'n duidelike gaping tussen toekomstige behoeftes en toegewyde infrastruktuurbeleggings.” 

Die regering was dus reeds in 2012 en in sy eie ontwikkelingsplan baie duidelik ingelig dat 2200MW per jaar nodig is om die 2030 teiken van 40 000 MW te bereik. Hierdie is dus nie sake wat oornag in 6 na 12 maande opgelos gaan word soos wat sommige onbeholpe lede in regering voorgee nie.  

Ironies genoeg is die taak gestel in die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan dat die Departement van Energie 21 500MW hernubare energie kapasiteit tot die stelsel moes voeg teen 2030. Dit is Minister Gwede Mantashe se departement en het hy tot op hede nog nie 1 MW tot die stelsel bygedra nie. Sy enigste oplossing in Julie 2022 was om Eskom 2.0 op te rig.   

As die regering dan reeds in 2012 geweet het daar is reuse kragtekorte en dat 40 000 MW kragkapasiteit tot die stelsel gevoeg moes word, waar moet die fout gesoek word? Die voortdurende eksperimentering met ʼn uitgediende tipe van sosialisme waarin al meer regering en regeringsvoorskrifte voorkom, lê aan die kern. Daarom is die ideologie die teëlaarde vir faksiegevegte, kader-ontplooiing, korrupte amptenare, onbevoegdheid en laastens die onvermoë om uitvoering te gee aan grandiose planne. Die ANC was nog altyd gefokus daarop om skuld te verplaas en neem selde indien ooit enige verantwoordelikheid. Daarom word min aandag gegee aan uitvoering. Die 2012 Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan-2030 staan uit as ʼn baken en demonstrasie van die ANC se totale onvermoë om te kan regeer en te kan uitvoer. Die mislukkings van hele departemente, staatsondersteunde entiteite en verbrokkelende infrastruktuur en munisipaliteite onder administrasie is deel van die ANC-regering se spoor van verwoesting. Dit is omdat elementêre uitvoering en instandhouding afwesig is in die ANC se regeerfunksie. Die afgelope amper drie dekades getuig hiervan.      

Waarin is die oplossings vir die toekoms in belang van die land en sy mense geleë.   
  • ʼn Koalisieregering wat die saak met die nodige erns en pligsbesef sal hanteer; 
  • ʼn Regering wat staatsondersteunde entiteite met spesifieke verwysing na Eskom en kragopwekking grootliks sal privatiseer; 
  • Minder regeringsinmenging, voorskrifte en regulering
  • ʼn Volkome einde aan kader ontplooiing, regstellende aksie en swart ekonomiese bemagtiging. Die term transformasie moet slegs gebruik word om te verwys na die transformasie van Eskom van ʼn sukkelende en gebroke onderneming na een van uitnemendheid en prestasie. 
  • Belastingtoegewings aan individue en die sakesektor wat druk van die elektrisiteit netwerke afhaal deur eie opwekking hetsy deur son of wind. 
  • Almal voor die voet gelyk behandel as dienste verbruikers en dat almal daarvoor betaal.  
  • Ontginning van entrepreneuriese vaardighede om oplossings te help ontwikkel. 
  • Werkskeppingsprojekte wat kraginfrastruktuur insluit in vennootskap tussen staat en die privaatsektor. 
  • Kundige leierskap in die kabinet en SOE’s wat ervaring en kundigheid bring en nie patronaatnetwerke nie; 
  • Enige opsetlike skade aan infrastruktuur en diefstal van materiaal en infrastruktuur en poging tot staatskaping as ekonomiese sabotasie vervolg sal word.     
In die lig van bogenoemde moet AfriForum se voorgestelde oprigting van ʼn kragmaatskappy ten einde private kernkrag te ontwikkel deur middel van modulêre korrelbedreaktors, oorweeg en waar moontlik ondersteun word.   

Suid-Afrika het nou politieke wil en dryfkrag nodig om dringend oplossingsgerig te kyk na die elektrisiteitskrisis. Vir te lank is dit oorgelaat aan die ANC en sy patronaatskappe tot selfverryking. Die krisis het onder ʼn ANC regering ontstaan en gevolglik kan die ANC nie die oplossing bied nie. Ekonomiese groei en gevolglike werkskepping was die slagoffer van ʼn regering wat nie die wil of vermoë geopenbaar het om ʼn verskil te kan maak nie.  


https://www.nationalplanningcommission.org.za/ (Die skakel na die Nasionale Beplanningskommissie is egter onaktief) 

_______________________________________________________
ESKOM - The ANC's complicity in the current energy crisis. There has been little progress with the National Development Plan since 2012. This is gross negligence and dereliction of duty. 
- Initiatives such as those proposed by AfriForum should be supported.

It is striking how, in recent weeks, the ANC government has been trying to blame Eskom for the current electricity crisis. This while the country is currently experiencing unprecedented levels of load shedding, up to Phase 6. Of small consolation is that South Africa is now experiencing Phase 4 and 5 on a rotating basis. However, load shedding is simply a euphemism for the current and real power crisis. 

While President Ramaphosa was supposed to be in Davos to attract new investment to an investment-unfriendly South Africa, he had to once again cancel his visit and focus on the crisis at home. The question to be asked, is whether the electricity crisis was the real reason, or if the ANC's factional infighting might have been the underlying reason. With much haste, and in the middle of Phase 6, the President had to meet with the National Energy Crisis Committee, the board of Eskom and opposition leaders to address the crisis. 

However, this is not a new crisis; it did not happen overnight and the ANC government must be held directly responsible and accountable. At the very least, the ANC government is individually and collectively accountable for dereliction of duty by its cabinet ministers. 

The ongoing electricity crisis of the last two years could have been prevented if the ANC government had followed and implemented its own National Development Plan 2030. Ironically, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa was the vice-chairman of the National Development Commission that presented the plan to the government in 2012. Therefore, nothing that is happening today should come as a surprise to the president or senior members of the cabinet.

Page 45 of the National Development Plan overview states that: “The electricity crisis of 2008 and other recent developments have exposed institutional weaknesses related to state-owned companies responsible for network infrastructure. Averting such problems requires clear institutional arrangements, transparent shareholder compacts, clean lines of accountability and sound financial models to ensure sustainability. We make recommendations in each of these areas.”

The core of the energy planning as outlined in 2012 in the chapter THE ENERGY SECTOR: EMPOWERING SOUTH AFRICA is then particularly clearly described on page 168: “South Africa will need to meet about 29 000 megawatts (MW) of new power demand between 2012 and 2030. A further 10 900MW of old power capacity will be retired. As a result, more than 40 000MW of new power capacity needs to be built. Eskom's current committed capacity expansion programme will see more than 10 000MW of new generating capacity added to the existing system. However, there is still a clear gap between future needs and committed infrastructure investments.”

The government was therefore already informed in 2012, and in its own development plan, that 2 200MW per year was needed to reach the 2030 target of 40 000MW. This is not something that can be solved overnight in six to 12 months as some inept members of government pretend. 

Ironically, the task set in the National Development Plan was for the Department of Energy to add 21 500MW of renewable energy capacity to the system by 2030. This is Minister Gwede Mantashe's department, and to date he has not yet contributed 1MW to the system. His only solution in July 2022 was to establish Eskom 2.0.

If the government already knew in 2012 that there were massive power shortages and that 40 000MW of power capacity needed to be added to the system, where should the blame lie? The continuous experimentation with an outdated type of socialism, with overwhelming government regulations, lies at the core. Such an ideology is a breeding ground for factional infighting, cadre development, corrupt officials, incompetence and ultimately the inability to implement grandiose plans. The ANC has always been focused on shifting blame and seldom, if ever, takes any responsibility. Therefore, little attention is given to implementation. The 2012 National Development Plan 2030 stands out as a beacon and demonstration of the ANC's total inability to govern and implement. The failures of entire departments and state-supported entities, crumbling infrastructure and municipalities under administration are part of the ANC government's trail of destruction. This is because fundamental implementation and maintenance are absent in the ANC's governance function. The past almost three decades attest to this.

Where are the solutions for the future in the interest of the country and its people to be found?
  • A coalition government that will handle the matter with the necessary seriousness and sense of duty;
  • A government that will largely privatise state-supported entities, with specific reference to Eskom and power generation;
  • Less government intervention, prescription and regulations;
  • A complete end to cadre deployment, affirmative action and black economic empowerment. The term transformation should only be used to refer to the transformation of Eskom from a struggling and broken company to one of excellence and performance;
  • Tax exemptions for individuals and members of the business sector that relieve pressure on the electricity networks by generating their own power, whether by solar or wind;
  • Treating everyone equally, as consumers who pay for such service; 
  • Developing entrepreneurial skills to help develop solutions;
  • Job creation projects that include power infrastructure in partnerships between the state and the private sector;
  • Expert Cabinet and SOE leadership that brings experience and expertise instead of patronage networks;
  • The treatment of any deliberate damage to infrastructure, theft of material and infrastructure, and attempts at state capture, as economic sabotage.
In light of the above, AfriForum's proposed establishment of a power company in order to develop private nuclear power through modular pebble bed reactors, should be considered and supported where possible.

South Africa now needs political will and drive to urgently look for solutions-oriented approaches to the electricity crisis. For too long, the ANC and its patronage networks have treated it as a self-enrichment scheme. The crisis arose under an ANC government and as a result, the ANC cannot provide a solution. Economic growth and resultant job creation were the victims of a government that did not demonstrate the will or ability to make a difference.

https://www.nationalplanningcommission.org.za/ (The link to the National Planning Commission is unfortunately inactive.)
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