No evidence to prove Gauteng dams are not suitable for the generation of hydro-electricity

19 March 2023

Gauteng residents will continue to suffer through rolling blackouts in the province. The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has no evidence to support its claim that none of the ten dams in the province is suitable for the generation of hydro-electricity.

The provincial energy response committee was only established after the announcement of the state of disaster due to the ongoing blackouts.

A budget of R1.2 billion has been set aside to resolve the energy crisis in the province.

Last year, Premier Panyaza Lesufi indicated that research has shown that none of the dams in the province can be used for the generation of hydro-electricity. I tabled follow-up questions earlier this year regarding this as no proper answer was given as to exactly why the province cannot produce hydro-electricity.

In response to the latest set of questions asked, Premier Lesufi again indicated that historical attempts by the City of Tshwane to run hydro-power production to proof-of-concept level at Reitvlei dam had generated poor yields. This indicated that such an approach is not commercially scalable.

In addition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) wanted to know which company or entity had conducted this research, to which we got no response.

Gauteng is the engine room of the South African economy. It is a gross dereliction that nothing has been done by GPG before the proclamation of the state of emergency.

This issue around hydro-electricity is an indication of the GPG's complete absence from the whole renewable debate. Every avenue should be explored by this government in the way that the Western Cape Government is doing, and they should have a plan to completely free this province of dependence on Eskom in the next five years like the Western Cape is doing.

The DA will be conducting a series of oversight inspections of the sites identified for solar energy. Our residents deserve to have a government in place that is committed to ensuring that we have a province that is constantly looking at innovative ways to end loadshedding, attract investors and increase employment opportunities.

Issued by Patrick Atkinson, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Finance, 19 March 2023