I-Eskom isikhumba esehlula abeshuki
NGESONTO elizayo amehlo azobe ethe njo enkulumweni yesabelomali kaNgqongqoshe Wezezimali uMhlonishwa uTito Mboweni. Yize abadala bezobe bebheke ukwenyuka kwemali yesibonelelo, labo abanathayo nabantongelayo bebheke ukwenyuka kwenani lemikhiqizo abayidlayo, iningi lizobe libheke ukuthi ngabe uMboweni uyawutakula yini u-Eskom osekucacele nengane encane ukuthi wemuka nomsinga. Ukukhathazeka ngalokho okwenzeka ku-Eskom kuzwakale ngisho nasezinkundleni zokuxhumana, yize abanye bebesolwa ngehaba. Umbiko ovele kwezokuxhumana noshaqise abaningi kube yilowo ovele kuMnyango Wezemisebenzi Yomphakathi. Lo mbiko uthe izinkinga zika-Eskom sezedlulele njengoba kugashaya uMbasa nonyaka ibe isiguqe ngamadolo iphethe ngokushabalala.
Le nkampani ikhungethwe yizinkinga kusuka esikweletini sezigidigidi ezingama-R420. Kuphinde kubalwe nenani eliphezulu lezisebenzi zayo. Njengamanje zibalelwa ezinkulungwaneni ezingama-48 izisebenzi eziqashwe yile nkampani. Lokhu kwenyusa izindleko zamaholo zifinyelele ezigidigidini ezingama-29,5.
Khona lapho kunanengwadla yokungakhokhelwa kukagesi ngomasipala abathile kuleli nosekukhona ukulahleka kwethemba ekutheni bayoke bakhokhe yini. Noma ngabe izama ukuyiqoqa le mali i-Eskom ngokuthi kunqanyulwe ugesi, abokuqala abayohayiza yibo osopolitiki ngoba akukwazi ukuthi kuyiwa okhethweni bese abantu bekhala ngokuthi bacishelwa ugesi. Okusobala wukuthi uma i-Eskom unezinhloso zokucima ugesi lokho uyokwenza sekwedlule ukhetho.
Ngokongoti lesi simo sokunqamuka kukagesi senza izwe lilahlekelwe yisigidi kuya kwezimbili ngosuku nokuyinto engafiswa muntu ikakhulukazi uMengameli osemkhankasweni wokuheha abatshalizimali. Ukunqamuka kukagesi kungahlehlisela ngisho elakuleli emuva uma kukhulunywa ngobuchwepheshe nakhona okungenza abatshalizimali nemfundo yakuleli ilimale.
Omunye owenze ucwaningo kabanzi ngezinkinga zika-Eskom lwakhishwa ngabakwaBussiness Tech wuSolwazi uRod Crompton osophikweni i-African Energy Leadership Centre, eWits Business School lapho ebale kwakubili akubona njengezinkingangqangi ezikhungethe le nkampani. UCrompton ukhale ngezindleko eziphezulu zokuphehla ugesi i-Eskom engasakwazi ukubhekana nazo wabala nezikweletu ehlulekayo ukumelana nazo. “Ngokwami ukucwaninga iphutha elikhulu elenziwe yi-Eskom ukwakha iziphehli ezisebenza ngamalahle okungezinkulu emhlabeni okuyiMedupi neSekusile. Inkinga ngazo ukuthi zisilele emuva, izindleko zingaphezulu kakhulu kwemali ezazihlinzekelwe yona kanti nezingxenye zazo eseziqediwe ukwakhiwa azisebenzi ngendlela,” kusho uSolwazi.
Inkohlakalo nokuqashana ngokuhlobana ayisalanga ngaphandle ezinkingeni ezibalwe wuSolwazi uCrompton. Ephawula ngokumele kwenziwe yi-Eskom ukuzikhipha obishini ezifake kulo uthe, “I-Eskom kumele yehlise izindleko zokukhiqiza, ikhuphule imali ekhokhwa ngabantu abasebenzisa ugesi bese izama ukwehlisa isikweletu. Konke lokhu kumele kwenzeke kanyekanye futhi ngokushesha okukhulu. Ngeshwa selokhu kwathi nhlo iva likhishwa ngelinye. Izakhamuzi eNingizimu Afrika azinayo enye indlela engebuhlungu yokusombulula inkinga yakwa-Eskom. Kumele leyo ndlela isebenze manje kungaze kufike ukhetho lwangoNhlaba wezi-2019,” kuphetha uSolwazi uCrompton.
Kukhona ukuvumelana nakubo ongoti ukuthi uMboweni ngeke abe nguzifozonke ezinkingeni ezibhekene ne- Eskom ngoba izwe alinayo imali eyanele. Kanti futhi uHulumeni akakwazi ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ugesi ngeke uhlale ungapheli. Ukuziphungela kusazoba yikho ukugxeka izolo ngoba iqiniso lithi luseyimpicabadala. UHulumeni umemezele ukuthi uzolanda ongoti base-Italy ukuthi nabo bazophuthaza bathole ukuthi kwenzenjani. Nalokho kusho izindleko izwe okuzomele lizilindele ngoba labo ngoti bayadula. Isixazululo okwamanje kubukeka kuseyikho ukuthi kugwinywe itshe kwamukelwe ukuthi izwe lisebumnyameni koze kufike nyanga thizeni nekhambi ngoba okwamanje isikhumba sisehlula abeshuki.