Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has conceded that the country is slow in addressing electricity generation problems.
He was speaking at the BRICS Energy Cooperation Forum in Midrand, Johannesburg ahead of the 15th BRICS Summit that will take place next week in Sandton.
“We’re slow in developing generation capacity, and we must address that and that’s why we are here, but transition is important. We must appreciate that. It should be a transition that talks to the just part, of which it is justice being done.”
Mantashe also says Europe is being hypocritical when it comes to just transition.
He says the continent has been forcing the country to move away from coal while its imports of coal from South Africa have grown eight-fold.
“Europe, which is not very aggressive on us, move out of coal. Their order for coal from us has grown eight-fold in 2022. That’s it. They take our coal, they use it, they say move out of it quickly, but they use it.”
