Lubhalwe nguTulani Ngwenya for Oxpeckers
Isiteshi sakamuva saseNingizimu Afrika esiphehla ugesi ngamalahle, i-Kusile, sithathe amashumi eminyaka ukuqeda ukwakhiwa, sabiza amakhulu ezigidigidi zamarandi, futhi saba ngeminye yemiklamo yengqalasizinda eyaba nempikiswano enkulu emlandweni wamandla kagesi wezwe.
Manje, ekugcineni isisebenza ngokugcwele, ibungazwa njengesixazululo senkinga kagesi njengoba izwe selizinikele ngokusemthethweni ukuqeda ukuncika emalahleni, uphethiloli wezinto ezimbiwa phansi eziwunikeza amandla.
Ukuphothulwa kophiko lwesithupha nelokugcina lweKusile ngo-2025 kwasho ukuphela kohlelo lokwakha olwaqala ngo-2008, lwenyuswa kusukela esabelweni sokuqala sesabelomali esingaba yizigidigidi ezingu-R80 saya emalini elinganiselwa ku-R161 billion, futhi kwaba yisaga se-state capture, inkohlakalo yosonkontileka kanye nokwehluleka kwezobunjiniyela. Iminyaka eminingi, amayunithi akhiwe kancane ahlala engenzi lutho futhi izinsuku zokuqeda beziphuthelwa ngokuphindaphindiwe.
Ngesikhathi ingena kwezohwebo ngoMandulo ka-2025, inkampani kazwelonke i-Eskom yamemezela ukuphela kohlelo lwayo lokwakha lweminyaka eyishumi. Ukucinywa kukagesi okwaphazamisa amakhaya namabhizinisi iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi, futhi iKusile yamiswa njengobufakazi bokuthi izwe selivele lajikajika.
Ngesikhathi sokuvakasha kwangoMbasa ka-2026 esiteshini sikagesi, esizinze eduze kwase-Witbank/Emalahleni esiFundeni saseNkangala eMpumalanga, uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa wasichaza “njengomgogodla wokuphakelwa kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika”, kanye nesiteshi sikagesi iMedupi eLimpopo. Zombili lezi ziteshi zenzelwe isikhathi sokusebenza seminyaka engu-50.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi iKusile uzothatha umhlalaphansi ngonyaka ka-2060, sekudlule iminyaka engamashumi amathathu ngemuva kwezibopho zikahulumeni zokwehlisa amalahle ngo-2030 ukuze afake isandla emizamweni yamazwe ngamazwe yokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwesisi esingcolisa umoya esiyingozi.
Ukuvakasha kukaMengameli eKusile ngoMbasa kukhombise ukuthi izifiso zezwe zokuqeda amalahle ziyashabalala.
Njengoba idatha yakamuva iqoqwe futhi yabelwa i-Oxpeckers #PowerTracker, iziteshi zamandla kagesi eziqhutshwa ngamalahle ezingu-14 eMpumalanga naseLimpopo zisagxilisa uhlaka lukazwelonke, olunamandla acishe abe ngu-38,000MW afakiwe. Leli thuluzi liphinde lihlonze izimayini zamalahle ezingu-16 kuzo zombili izifundazwe, ezikhiqiza amathani angi-125 million ngonyaka.
NgokoHlelo Oludidiyelwe Lwezinsiza zika-2019, olwabeka i-energy mix yezwe kanye nokuthengwa kwamandla okukhiqiza, kulindeleke ukuthi umthamo wamalahle angaphezu kuka-11 000MW usuyekwe ngo-2030. Nokho, u-Eskom ubambezele ukuvalwa kweziteshi eziningi ezigugile ngenxa yezingozi zokuphakelwa kukagesi.
Sisodwa kuphela isiteshi sikagesi esivaliwe kuze kube manje. Kusukela ngoMbasa ka-2026, i-Komati kuphela eduze kwase-Bethal yayisithathe umhlalaphansi, nokwaqeda amandla ayo okukhiqiza angu-1,14MW.
Ngokusho kwe- #PowerTracker, “u-Eskom unombono wokuthi indawo yaseKomati izogcina inikeze u-370MW wamandla elanga, umoya kanye nokugcina amabhethri kugridi”.
Ezinye iziteshi zikagesi ezihlanganisa i-Hendrina, i-Camden ne-Grootvlei manje kulindeleke ukuthi zisebenze ngaphezu kwezikhathi ezinqunyiwe ngaphambili, kanti amanye amayunithi angase ahlale ku-inthanethi ngemva kuka-2030. Iziteshi zikagesi i-Duvha, i-Kendal, i-Kriel ne-Matimba zizoyekwa kuphela phakathi kuka-2035 no-2040.
Imiphumela ayikona okomhlaba kuphela ingeyasendaweni.
Izinga eliphansi lokukhipha ukungcola eNingizimu Afrika lilawula ukungcola okufana ne-sulphur dioxide kanye ne-particle.
Imishini eminingi yamalahle emidala azikwazi ukuhlangabezana nalezi zindinganiso. Ngo-2025, uhulumeni wanikeza ukukhululwa okunesikhathi esinqunyelwe okuvumela imishini eminingi ukuthi ziqhubeke nokusebenza ngale kweminqamulajuqu yokuthobela imithetho.
Izinhlangano zemvelo zithi lokhu kwandisa isikhathi eside ukuchayeka ekungcoleni komoya okuyingozi.
Umbiko okhishwe ngomhlaka-22 kuMbasa ka-2026 ngabakwaGreenpeace Africa, iCentre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, kanye nenhlangano engenzi nzuzo i-groundWork ilinganisela ukuthi ukubambezeleka kokukhishwa kwamalahle kungase kubangele ukufa okwengeziwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi kuka-32,000 phakathi kuka-2026 no-2050.
Esithombeni esingenhla: Isakhamuzi sendawo siqoqa amalahle emayini yamalahle engalungiswanga eduze kwaseDuvha Power Station.
Umthombo wesithombe: Ihsaan Haffejee
Le ndaba ikhiqizwe yi-Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism futhi yabelwa neScrolla.Africa njengengxenye yobudlelwano.
Funda uphenyo olugcwele ku-Oxpeckers.org