Gauteng Energy Indaba gives a beacon of hope to Ward 110 and 80 residents
Several factors have contributed to the protest by residents, including a lack of adequate waste management, electricity, and water services in the area, but more importantly, load-shedding and other issues leading to power outages.
As residents of Wards 110 and 80 continue to seek solutions to their power outage issues, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called on all sectors of society to work together to find lasting solutions to help municipalities to respond efficiently to the energy crisis in the province.
This call was made during the inaugural Gauteng Energy Indaba at the Gallagher Convention Centre on August 10.
Addressing an assembly of energy experts, Lesufi stressed the significance of engaging diverse stakeholders, encompassing municipalities, businesses, and concerned parties.
Their collective focus was to deliberate on an array of critical facets, including enhancements to electricity infrastructure, replacement of transformers, indigent registration, smart meter adoption, curbing illegal connections, managing debt, optimising billing systems, facilitating connections for new entrants, and safeguarding essential infrastructure.
This could serve as a beacon of hope for the residents of Rabie Ridge, Mayibuye, Kanana, President Park, and Austin View who have recently embarked on protests to be able to have these enhancements expedited by the city.
Energy Indaba also served as the premier’s response to residents’ calls for direct responses from their leaders and councilors regarding these matters.
Several factors have contributed to these protests, including a lack of adequate waste management, electricity, and water services in the area, but more importantly, load-shedding and other issues leading to power outages.
During the inaugural, Lesufi said the provincial government would increase the money set aside for dealing with energy challenges in the province from R1.2b close to R2b.
He underscored the government’s intention to channel resources through City Power in Johannesburg to restore damaged infrastructure.
“What it means is that where transformers have been stolen, blown away, and removed, we want to commit through City Power in Johannesburg to repairing this infrastructure. We are prepared to invest in converting each household in Gauteng, including businesses, to be on pre-paid smart meters.”
He said the new pre-paid smart meters would play a pivotal role during load-shedding events by actively managing energy consumption for appliances such as geysers and swimming pools.
Lesufi added that this approach will ensure that essential services like stoves, television, and lighting remain operational even amidst load shedding, thereby alleviating the inconvenience experienced by residents currently subjected to complete darkness.
On the contentious issue of debt owed to Eskom, Lesufi advocated for a balanced resolution.
He asserted that while the national government had taken steps to alleviate Eskom’s debt, a corresponding commitment was expected from the debtors themselves.
“We are also pushing very strongly that the debt owed to Eskom must be scrapped because the national government has scrapped Eskom’s debt. We can’t scrap your debt and the people that owe you; you’re also not scrapping.
“The proposal from Treasury is there already, how that debt is supposed to be scrapped so it is not out of the ordinary. For us to scrap your debt, you must pay your current account, convert to a pre-paid metering system, and be in a position to honour the debt arrangements.”
Lesufi said Eskom has already started a process where municipalities must apply why their debts must be scrapped.
Highlighting the province’s infrastructure vulnerabilities, Lesufi cited frequent cable theft and substation vandalism as major concerns.
He underscored the urgency of bolstering law enforcement to safeguard these critical assets from further damage.
The Premier has set a deadline of January 1 next year for a comprehensive resolution of electricity-related issues.
SA Energy Council CEO, James Mackay, expressed readiness from the private sector to collaborate with the government in accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
He acknowledged the setbacks caused by the state capture era and compounded by the impact of Covid-19.
“We lost significant time through the state capture years, and it relates to the capabilities of our SOEs and often the public sector to move quickly in this transition,” Mackay explained.
“This was then compounded by Covid-19. On top of deepening economic and social deficits and struggling state capacity, we add this biggest global disrupter in history — the energy transition.”
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