DA’s WC plan to stop load shedding might never see light of day in Gauteng

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) plan to shift the country’s energy from state-led to independent power producer-led in its metros might never see the light of day in Johannesburg and Pretoria following the auditor-general’s (AG) report on Tshwane and Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse’s uncertain future.

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Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced businesses and, in time, residents, would receive cash for selling their excess power into the grid.

National Treasury has exempted the city from competitive bidding processes not designed for the coming energy revolution.

ALSO READ: Emfuleni and Tshwane R7.1bn debt exacerbating Eskom cash flow crisis

According to the city, the sale of excess power by homes and businesses with small-scale embedded generation, among other generation solutions, would contribute to Cape Town’s goal of four-stages load shedding protection within three years.

DA’s energy plan ‘an amazing opportunity’

Independent energy analyst Pieter Jordaan applauded the City of Cape Town and said it was “proactive in seeking a solution for the crisis”.

“In terms of the other metros, it is most probably a lack of interest or the will to work,” he added.

Jordaan said this was an amazing opportunity which would open doors to new business developments and opportunities to generate power.

“I am sure the Cape Town council has done due diligence to secure alternative energy at a viable cost,” he said.

ALSO READ: Phalatse likely to be ousted, says ActionSA as DA coalition in Joburg falters

However, Patriotic Alliance spokesperson Charles Cilliers said, following the “horrifying” AG report on the Tshwane municipality’s financial statements for 2021-22, which revealed it had misrepresented its financial state, “I don’t think they can do it”.

The report highlighted more than R10 billion in irregular expenditure during that financial year, while millions were not accounted for.

“Mayor of Tshwane Randall Williams has been in charge all these years, so he still has to account for that, and explain why he’s running the city under,” he said.

Cilliers said although Phalatse had asked for 18 to 36 months to implement her promised plan to buy and store energy from the private sector and elsewhere – like individual households – to end load shedding, her future in charge was uncertain.

‘Plans well underway’

Eskom has asked the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs to intervene as the City of Tshwane’s electricity debt had by yesterday, ballooned to R1.4 billion, due to short payments and nonpayments spanning several months in the recent past.

Meanwhile, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga insisted the party was looking for alternative sources of energy and said things were well underway.

ALSO READ: ‘Switch on power or we’ll take it from you’ – DA tells ANC during march to headquarters

“Look at the City of Ekurhuleni, for instance, it has just signed 46 new contracts with independent power producers, so these metros will be getting power even when there’s load shedding.”

– reitumetsem@citizen.co.za