Toby Shapshak
Ngaphandle kokuthi u-Eskom athole amandla amaningi, iNingizimu Afrika ingalindela ukunqanyulwa kukagesi kusukela ku-Stage 4 kuya ku-stage 6 eminyakeni emihlanu ezayo, kuxwayisa uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa.
Ngesikhathi ethula iNkulumo Echaza Isimo Sezwe ngowe-2021 ngoLwesine, uRamaphosa uthe iziteshi ezindala ezisebenzisa ugesi ngamalahle zifinyelela esiphethweni sempilo yazo.
Lokhu kuphoqa u-Eskom ukuthi asheshe athole imithombo emisha yamandla, kodwa lokhu kuzosho ukunqanyulwa kukagesi okuningi kuze kulungiswe lokhu.
Ekhuluma nePhalamende cishe elingenabantu, uRamaphosa uthe UMnyango wezinsizakusebenza kanye Namandla kungekudala uzomemezela amabhidi azowina ama-megawatts ayi-2 000 kagesi ophuthumayo.
Ukunyakaziswa kwemithetho kuzosho ukuthi omasipala bazokwazi ukuthenga amandla kubakhiqizi bakagesi abazimele – hhayi kwa-Eskom kuphela.
Amandla kagesi engeziwe avela kumandla avuselelekayo, igesi yemvelo, ukugcinwa kwamabhethri kanye namalahle nakho kusendleleni, kusho uRamaphosa.
Yize kusencike ekuthembekeni kwamandla kagesi angcolisa amalahle, uRamaposa uthembise ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika izobambelela kwizibophezelo zayo zomhlaba wonke mayelana nokuguquka kwesimo sezulu nokuthi u-Eskom uzibophezele ekutheni uzokhipha i-net zero emission ngonyaka wezi-2050.
Uthe maduze nje uhulumeni uzofuna amabhidi azothola ama-megawatts ayi-2 600 omoya namandla elanga.
Khonamanjalo, uRamaphosa uxwayise ngokuthi inkohlakalo ingenye yezinto ezivimba ukukhula kwezwe nentuthuko.
“Ukudalulwa okuvela kwiKhomishini kaZondo yophenyo kuveza obala ubukhulu bokulawulwa kombuso nenkohlakalo ehlobene nayo,” kusho uRamaphosa.
URamaphosa uthe kube nenqubekela phambili enkulu ekuguqulweni kwezinhlaka eziqinisekisa ukuthotshelwa komthetho.
Ube esekhuluma ngemibiko yokuthi kungenzeka kube nokukhwabanisa nokukhohlakala kokuthengwa kwempahla ye-COVID-19, wathi sekusungulwe uphiko olukhethekile lokuthi abomthetho bahlanganyele ngolwazi nangezinsizakusebenza ngalobu bugebengu.
“Njengoba kubikwe ngesonto eledlule ukuthi, i-SIU isiqedile ukuphenya ngezinkontileka eziyi-164 ezinenani eliphelele lezigidigidi ezingu-R3,5.”
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