Minerals and energy minister Buyelwa Sonjica yesterday apologised for the electricity crisis facing the country. She said government had tried to avert it, but that proposals put to it three years ago "got delayed".
Introducing the special joint sitting of Parliament debate yesterday, Sonjica said her department had first identified electricity demand growth more than five years ago, when it rose by 3.34% in 2002 and then by 7.1% in 2003, and that new power generation would be needed by 2007.
She said her department had informed Cabinet in September 2003 and that the lead time for such projects was three years, "...and, therefore, a decision would be required as soon as possible".
Cabinet approval was acquired for proposals geared towards ensuring there would be adequate electricity supply in the future. The key decisions made by Cabinet included that Eskom should be instructed to ensure security of supply up to 2007, including the building of new power stations if necessary in the short-term.
Cabinet also directed that Eskom would commission 70% of the new capacity required beyond 2008. For the remaining 30% of required capacity beyond 2008, a process to bring independent power producers into the system would be started.
Apologies for delay
"There was a delay by Cabinet and for that we sincerely apologise," Sonjica told the gathered MPs to the jeers of the opposition members. ANC MPs gave her subdued encouragement that was in marked contrast to their usual boisterous behaviour.
However, despite the apologies for the crisis, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) rejected calls for her resignation as well as those of public enterprises minister Alec Erwin, or Eskom's senior management and board of directors.
Among government's proposals to alleviate the electricity crisis is a call for a 10% reduction in consumption, with tips such as consumers turning off water geysers during the day; a possible 20% subsidisation for installing solar heating; the use of wireless technologies to help municipalities and Eskom to manage customer load; and switching to other fuel sources such as liquid petroleum gas.
Sonjica also mentioned that South Africans could look forward to higher electricity tariffs. ANC MP Fatima Chohan supported Sonjica's stance, emphasising that similar blackouts were seen in other countries such as the US in 2003 and currently in China.
Not mollified
However, this did not mollify the opposition, with Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Hendrik Schmidt saying government was warned about this as far back as 1998.
Another DA MP, Manie van Dyk, accused Eskom non-executive chairman Valli Moosa of "deliberately misleading Parliament in November by not referring at all to the looming crisis during his presentation to the public enterprises committee on Eskom's annual report".
Van Dyk said this indicated there was a serious problem with the information that Eskom management supplied.
Erwin closed the debate by reiterating the already publicised plan to solve the power crisis.
"This is a very new experience for South Africans. No amount of baying for sacrificial lambs will solve the problem."
He said government, Eskom and industry were developing new communication protocols that would help the various parties communicate more effectively with each other.
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