Portfolio committee still in the dark on government's 5-point plan

17 March 2015

The Portfolio Committee on Energy remains none the wiser as to the detail of government's 5-point plan meant to put an end to the current energy crisis crippling South Africa. 

I will therefore be writing to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Fikile Majola, requesting that he compel the Department of Energy (DoE) to present its plan in its entirety without any further delays. This will allow the Committee to properly scrutinise whether or not the plan is viable and fit for the purpose. 

This follows responses given to the Committee at today's meeting by DoE officials. Deputy Minister of Energy, Thembisile Majola, in response to a question admitted that she was unable to provide the necessary detail to elaborate on what was a disastrous presentation of the plan, by the DoE, at last week's committee meeting.

This is government's key policy in resolving the energy crisis and the Portfolio Committee is required to be comprehensively briefed on it.

The Deputy Minister's inability to coherently present on the nuts and bolts of the plan is extremely worrying considering the fact that she was the primary convener of the Eskom "war room" tasked with finding solutions to the energy crisis. 

Deputy Minister Majola, indicated that more information would be available in "due course" once the Deputy President has had a chance to co-ordinate a formal response.  

This comment is similar to the admission - at the weekend - by the Minister of Public Enterprises, who cited the lack of information emanating from Eskom as one of the key reasons for the suspension of 4 top Eskom executives.

This raises the question that if neither the Minister of Energy nor the Minister of Public Enterprises know what's truly going on within our energy sector, then who does?  

At a time when South Africa requires transparency and accountability regarding the rampant crisis, a government that is unable to communicate on its own plan does not inspire confidence. 

Statement issued by Gordon Mackay, DA Shadow Minister of Energy, March 17 2015

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