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Cape Town - In response to Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown's open letter to the DA's shadow minister of public enterprises Natasha Michael, in which Brown called for an end to "Eskom hysteria" and for opposition parties to work with government on issues relating to Eskom, Michael has issued her own an open letter to Brown on Tuesday.
READ: Brown slams opposition for 'Eskom hysteria'
In the letter Michael requests Brown to provide certain information to the relevant portfolio committee as a matter of urgency.
This includes:
* All maintenance records for the silos at Majuba power station, in particular the information relating to the quantity, quality and nature of coal stored in the silos.
"As you know, the use of wet coal would increase the risk of damage to silos. Given previous media reports detailing Eskom’s widespread use of wet coal, I believe this is a legitimate concern that should be directly addressed by your department," wrote Michael.
* All contracts relating to the construction of Medupi and Kusile power stations.
"We have long been denied access to this information. In the spirit of openness, accountability and constructive engagement with the opposition I would like to invite you to share all of this information with the committee," wrote Michael.
She also wanted to know if Brown or Eskom would:
* Provide details on who the principal contractors for Medupi and Kusile are.
* All contractual agreements with the New Age, in particular relating to the sponsorship of New Age business breakfasts by Eskom.
READ: Eskom R43m New Age deal stirs controversy
In addition, Michael requests that Brown responds to the other points she raised in recent communication to her.
Michael wants Brown to answer the following questions:
Will your department freeze executive pay at Eskom, currently totalling R60m a year?
Can you give us assurances that load shedding will not continue for the rest of the year?
Will you rescind the R63m sponsorship deal Eskom has signed with the New Age newspaper?
Will you invite the portfolio committee to an urgent oversight visit of the Majuba power station?
Will you or Eskom publicly explain the plan to ensure that no further blackouts take place this year?
According to Michael, providing answers to these questions will greatly aid the portfolio committee in executing effective oversight over the many challenges facing Brown's department.
"The current situation at Eskom and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is damaging to our economy and to our international reputation and cannot continue along the current trajectory of continual bailouts and failure to deliver," wrote Michael.
"Power outages are jeopardising countless jobs and it cannot be tolerated any longer. It is simply scandalous that our country has to face a crisis that could have been avoidable with proper planning and administration by those in power."
Michael referred to Brown having raised a crucial point about investor confidence.
"I agree with you that the record of the current national government, when laid out to any independent observer, is horrifying. This would go a long way to explain why foreign investment into South Africa has dried up," wrote Michael.
Michael ends off by saying: "We must do everything we can to fix the problems at Eskom and other SOEs as soon as possible. I will continue to work within the parameters of my role in the portfolio committee to make this happen."
She urged Brown to provide answers to her questions "so that we can get on with the work of fixing Eskom and the other SOEs in a transparent manner".
READ: Brown slams opposition for 'Eskom hysteria'
In the letter Michael requests Brown to provide certain information to the relevant portfolio committee as a matter of urgency.
This includes:
* All maintenance records for the silos at Majuba power station, in particular the information relating to the quantity, quality and nature of coal stored in the silos.
"As you know, the use of wet coal would increase the risk of damage to silos. Given previous media reports detailing Eskom’s widespread use of wet coal, I believe this is a legitimate concern that should be directly addressed by your department," wrote Michael.
* All contracts relating to the construction of Medupi and Kusile power stations.
"We have long been denied access to this information. In the spirit of openness, accountability and constructive engagement with the opposition I would like to invite you to share all of this information with the committee," wrote Michael.
She also wanted to know if Brown or Eskom would:
* Provide details on who the principal contractors for Medupi and Kusile are.
* All contractual agreements with the New Age, in particular relating to the sponsorship of New Age business breakfasts by Eskom.
READ: Eskom R43m New Age deal stirs controversy
In addition, Michael requests that Brown responds to the other points she raised in recent communication to her.
Michael wants Brown to answer the following questions:
Will your department freeze executive pay at Eskom, currently totalling R60m a year?
Can you give us assurances that load shedding will not continue for the rest of the year?
Will you rescind the R63m sponsorship deal Eskom has signed with the New Age newspaper?
Will you invite the portfolio committee to an urgent oversight visit of the Majuba power station?
Will you or Eskom publicly explain the plan to ensure that no further blackouts take place this year?
According to Michael, providing answers to these questions will greatly aid the portfolio committee in executing effective oversight over the many challenges facing Brown's department.
"The current situation at Eskom and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is damaging to our economy and to our international reputation and cannot continue along the current trajectory of continual bailouts and failure to deliver," wrote Michael.
"Power outages are jeopardising countless jobs and it cannot be tolerated any longer. It is simply scandalous that our country has to face a crisis that could have been avoidable with proper planning and administration by those in power."
Michael referred to Brown having raised a crucial point about investor confidence.
"I agree with you that the record of the current national government, when laid out to any independent observer, is horrifying. This would go a long way to explain why foreign investment into South Africa has dried up," wrote Michael.
Michael ends off by saying: "We must do everything we can to fix the problems at Eskom and other SOEs as soon as possible. I will continue to work within the parameters of my role in the portfolio committee to make this happen."
She urged Brown to provide answers to her questions "so that we can get on with the work of fixing Eskom and the other SOEs in a transparent manner".
