The African National Congress says it is looking to resolve problems around energy security and is in conversation with experts to find an urgent and lasting solution.
The party has conceded that economic growth is being held back by rolling blackouts, especially small businesses that cannot afford to source alternative energy.
The party is currently hosting its Economic Reforms and Energy Security Dialogue, in Free State. The party says it is concerned about the number of businesses closing shop because of power blackouts and this is impacting employment.
“Others would have seen for example showcasing on social media, some of the Wimpy stores have not been able to pay rent because paying for generators or petrol and diesel is expensive. So these are some of the things that are affecting us as society. That is why from the ANC point of view we said we can’t continue in this manner without finding solutions,” says ANC NEC member Mmamoloko Kubayi.
Energy security is the catalyst for economic growth. We cannot continue with loadshedding if we are to grow our economy. We must ensure that we address our energy challenges. #ANCEconomicDialogue #EnergySecurity #ANC111 pic.twitter.com/FaktqLTY7F
— Gwede Mantashe (@GwedeMantashe1) January 6, 2023
Jacob Mbele, Director General in the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, says policies regarding additional generational capacity need to be reviewed often to deal with the prevailing energy crisis.
Mbele says there is no policy uncertainty regarding renewable energy but implementation and construction of such projects can take anything between 18 and 36 months.
He was speaking at the ANC Economic Reforms and energy security Dialogue, underway in the Free State.
The ANC is engaging experts to find lasting solutions to the country’s energy crisis.
“You can imagine that if you’ve got a plan that is going to change in less than that duration that on its own is going to create policy uncertainty. It is my view that when you do long-term planning, the plan must be robust enough to be adapted for the changing conditions. Specifically talking to the Integrated Resource Plan(IRP) everyone talks about the IRP being outdated. But those that have read the RFP would have noticed that in the RFP, the possibility of Eskom energy availability factor going below what was predicted was actually covered”, says Mbele.
The ANC hosts an Economic Dialogue led by National Chair, Cde Gwede Mantashe https://t.co/7P9AdGxRxL
— African National Congress #ANC111 (@MYANC) January 6, 2023
