Power answer 'not good enough'
Mar 12 2008 14:04
Michael Hamlyn
Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has not been satisfied with the answers it received from Public Enterprises Minister
Alec Erwin on the power being supplied to South Africa's neighbours by Eskom.
Manie van Dyk, the party spokesperson, admits to being puzzled by a statement given by Erwin that said: "All utilities that buy electricity from Eskom are subject to the same treatment as South African customers. Where domestic customers have been subjected to load shedding, the respective utilities in other states have been subjected to similar restrictions. Where Eskom has required a national load reduction in South Africa, the same limitation has been placed on all export sales."
Van Dyk pointed out on Wednesday that Statistics South Africa
estimated that exports to neighbouring countries actually increased in January 2008. Specifically, exports of electricity accelerated at a year-on-year rate of 13 % in January compared to 9 % in the previous month.
In addition, on a month-on-month basis, exports increased by 4%.
Preferential treatment
"The increased exports to neighbouring states indicate, contrary to minister Erwin's reply to our question, that neighbouring countries get preferential treatment at the expense of South Africa's mining industry," Van Dyk said.
He added the minister must clarify why - if load shedding did in fact occur overseas in January as the minister has implied - did Eskom's exports increase. He also wanted to know why consumers here are paying more for electricity than their foreign counterparts.
Van Dyke said that neighbouring countries pay around half the rate that domestic customers are charged. Eskom charges its neighbouring customers an average 11c per kilowatt-hour, while South Africa's domestic industry and households must make do with an average price of 17c per kilowatt-hour and 41c per kilowatt-hour, respectively.
"What is more, in January, Solidarity revealed that Zimbabwe does not pay for the electricity supplied by Eskom. Clearly, Eskom's foreign and domestic customers do not receive the same treatment," he said.
- I-Net Bridge
