DA leader, John Steenhuisen speaks as the Multi -Party Charter explains their approach to ending rolling blackouts to the media at the Kelvin power station in Zuurfontein, 28 February 2024. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
The Multi-Party Charter (MPC) has unveiled their plans to keep South Africa out of darkness after this year’s general elections … and get rid of the Electricity Ministry.
On Tuesday, the 11 parties gathered at the Kelvin power station in Johannesburg, where they announced their plans to get rid of blackouts and end load shedding for good.
The coalition said they had plans to create a competitive energy market that was centered on increased private power generation.
“The charter will end Eskom’s monopoly and establish a competitive, open electricity market, putting Eskom’s years of underperformance and endless bailouts behind us,” the parties said in a statement.
According to the parties, their reforms will secure South Africa’s energy future, while increasing clean and renewable energy utilisation.
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“This will increase living standards and improve the well-being of all South Africans,” the group said.
The MPC said to achieve these goals, the charter had adopted a three-pronged approach: reforming Eskom, establishing an open energy market, and ensuring a just transition to a renewable energy future.
“The charter’s specific plans, as discussed in greater detail by the charter leaders, include expediting the unbundling process of Eskom to produce a separate transmission company, which will be a stand-alone grid and market operator,” the parties said.
The parties also said they would abolish the Ministry of Electricity and house its functions within existing departments.
They would also ensure that appointments at Eskom and other energy sector leadership roles are based on merit, eliminating political interference in the board and management of Eskom.
“Ending cadre deployment and eradicating corruption in the energy sector,” they said.
The parties said these commitments have been agreed to by all the signatory parties to the MPC, having consulted with a broad range of experts and capitalising on the governance experience within the coalition.
The charter consists of the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), among other parties.
The pre-election coalition pact was signed in 2023.
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