Pretoria - South Africans have been lulled into a false sense of security
that there is sufficient energy, but that it is just going to cost
more, Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel said in Pretoria on
Tuesday.
After a national stakeholder advisory council meeting with
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on electricity, Manuel said it
was accepted that energy was the "life-blood" of any economy. To
address the crisis behavioural changes were needed.
"There will have to be some kind of price adjustment. It's
inevitable. We have all been lulled into a false sense of security.
We think that there is sufficient energy. Life is not actually as
easy as it seems."
Manuel said South Africans needed to look beyond Eskom's
proposed 35 percent a year price hike over the next three years,
and instead look 20 years into the future.
"We must look at the energy choices going forward... to the
horizon."
Manuel said the council, including labour, business and civil
society, agreed that the energy crisis needed to be taken more
seriously. He said it would meet more regularly, possibly every
three months.
Manuel said it was "pre-emptive" to discuss Eskom's proposed
price hike before the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) had
decided whether to approve it or not.
"Cabinet will have to wait for a Nersa determination."
He said every South African could help mitigate the continuing
crisis by reducing demand and exploring solar energy as a means of
generating electricity.
"It's an all-in effort," he said.
For government's part, Manuel said R60bn had been
allocated to help the power utility weather the storm, with an
additional guarantee of R125bn on the backburner.
Speaking on behalf of labour, Tyotyo James from the Congress of
SA Trade Unions said there had been a "collective willingness" by
all members of the council to address the problem.
"The electricity crisis in this country is no individual's
problem."
James indicated that adjusting behaviour regarding electricity
use was vital and no time should be wasted.
"We must not plunge this country in a massive blackout," he
said.
Raymond Parsons from the business sector said the approach
needed to be spurred by "truly a team effort".
"We need to be able to generate more options [than coal
producing electricity], to think outside the box. From the business
point of view it is a group effort."
According to a statement issued by the presidency later, the
advisory council, supported by the National Emergency Response
Team, had considered numerous proposals.
Key points included a policy framework on private sector
participation as soon as possible, the need to ensure system
security and reliability, thereby avoiding power cuts, and
developing a contingency plan for the high demand expected during
the World Cup in June 2010.
"We call on all South Africans to reduce electricity usage by at
least 10 percent," the presidency said.
"This will immediately increase our reserve margins to levels
above 13 percent, so let us switch off air conditioners, geysers,
heaters and lights unless we absolutely need them."
Enabling economic growth and job creation were also discussed.
"The council suggested that we need to investigate the
socio-economic impact of electricity costs and urgently introduce
incentives for voluntary rationing where necessary," the presidency
said.
The speed of the roll-out of the national solar water heating
programme was highlighted. Manuel said this included a commitment
to install at least one million solar heating cyclinders in houses.
Business, civil society, labour and minority groups said they
would all be making submissions to Nersa at next year's public
hearings on the power price hike.
- Sapa