22 July 2020, Johannesburg — This week, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced that bid documentation for 2 000MW of emergency power would be released in the coming weeks. In response, Greenpeace Africa’s Climate and Energy Campaigner Nhlanhla Sibisi has said:
“Load shedding is evidence that the old system is breaking down. Although it is a positive development to see determinations for 2 000MW of renewable energy, it must be noted that there still remains a huge risk of load shedding until we decarbonise our electricity sector, with the backdrop of the climate crisis still firmly in place.
“The department of Energy and Eskom are holding the South African public at ransom: this broken system will require extensive capital to fix and the South African public is bearing the brunt of this through electricity hikes and inadequate supply. South Africans cannot afford this because of joblessness, inequality of supply and hunger that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To ask more from South Africans proves how out of touch the Department is with our lived experiences.
“Eskom must totally transition to renewable energy. They have illustrated countless times that their system is broken and cannot service South Africa. We do not need them to prove it to us again.”
Contact details:
Chris Vlavianos, Greenpeace Africa Communications Officer, +2779 883 7036, [email protected]
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