Ukuhweba ngogesi sekuvulelekile kuwonke wonke
Njalo nxa kunenkinga esuke ibhekene nezwe, kuyaye kumele kubhekwe izindlela ezintsha zokusebenza ukuze kuvele izixazululo ezintsha, futhi ezizokwenza kubelula isimonhlalo sabantu bakulelo lizwe. Emveni kokuthi uHulumeni eyekelele isikhathi eside isimo esabesesizibonakalisile ukuthi sizodala inkinga, eminyakeni cishe elishumi nesihlanu edlule. Kubonakala sekuntwela maqondana nesiphehlimandla sikagesi Eskom, kanye nezindlela ezizosetshenziswa ukuze kube nozinzo ezweni. Ukucishwa kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika sekuyinsakavukela umchilo wesidwaba. Nomanini sekumane kucishwe nje, ngenxa yezizathu ezithi uyongiwa ugesi, okuyinto nokho engazange yenzeke lingakakhululeki leli. Yize singakucacisa ukuthi babembalwa abantu abanogesi lingakakhululeki leli, kepha iNingizimu Afrika, ike yaba sesigabeni lapho inogesi omningi ngokwedlulele.
Yingakho eminyakeni eyedlule, lowo owayephethe izwe uMnu uThabo Mbeki wathi nxa exwayiswa ngesimo esasizohamba siholele leli kulesi sigaba sokucishwa kukagesi, wasishaya indiva isexwayiso ngoba azi ukuthi ugesi okhona amathantala. Yize agcina exolisile uZizi ebona sekwenzeka ayexwayiswe ngakho, kodwa kwabe sekuvesi konakele. Noma ngabe yini eyayenzeka, kwabe sekungubhula umlilo nje owabe usuzishela ubuhanguhangu. Namuhla ake sibuke okungacishe kube yisixazululo kule nkinga ebhekene neNingizimu Afrika. Lokhu sizokubuka emuva kwenkulumongqangi kaMengameli wezwe uRamaphosa. Kule nkulumo ebenohlonze kakhulu, uRamaphosa uze nezixazululo cishe esingathi ezizwakalayo, kuphela uma zingathathwa zenziwe ngendlela abeke ngayo enkulumweni abeyethulela isizwe mhla zilishumi nantathu kuNhlolanja kophezulu. Ugesi phela ungumgogodla wezomnotho ezweni.
Kuyo le ngosi sike saphawula ngaphambilini ngesikhondlakhondla senkampani i-Eskom, esesiphendulwe isahluleki kube kuyiso abantu baseNingizimu Afrika namanye amazwe alakhele leli aphila ngaso. Ukulungisa lesi simo, uMengameli wezwe, uvulele amathuba labo abafisa ukubamba iqhaza elibonakalayo ekuphehlweni kwamandla kagesi eNingizimu Afrika. Yithuba leli eliyingqayizivele kwazise, okokuqala ngqa ukuthi abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ngisho nabasakhasayo ukuthi bangakwazi ukuziphehlela ugesi baphinde futhi bawudayisele inkampani i-Eskom. Phela ukuphehla ugesi lokhu kwenziwa ngezindlela eziningi, phakathi kwazo yilezi, ugesi wamalahle, ugesi womoya, ugesi welanga, ugesi wamanzi njalonjalo.
Echaza enkulumweni yakhe uMengameli, ucacisile ukuthi lokhu kungokokuqala ngqa ukuthi zonke izinhlelo ezizokwenza ukuthi ugesi uphehleke kahle yilabo abafisa ukungena kule mboni, njengoHulumeni bazokwenza kusheshe kakhulu ukukhipha izimvume kulabo abazobe befake izicelo. Okunguyena ophathiswe uMnyango Wezamandla uNgqongqoshe uGwede Mantashe, uzobe eseshicilela maduze emqulwini owaziwa nge-34 Ministerial Determination. Lowo mqulu uzokwazi futhi ukusiza usomqulu omkhulu owaziwa nge-Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) ukuthi ukwazi ukuvumela labo abafuna ukuphehla ugesi, bakwazi ukwenzenjalo ngaphandle kwezihibe.
Ngenxa yesidingo esikhulu samandla kagesi eNingizimu Afrika, labo abazothi bazibandakanye nalolu hlelo, bayokwazi ukukwenza lokhu ngokuthi baphakele inkampani i-Eskom ugesi phakathi kwezinyanga kusuka kwezintathu kuya kweziyishumi nambili nje vo. Inkampani engaphansi kukaHulumeni okuyiyona elawula ukusetshenziswa kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika, ebizwa ngeNational Electricity Regulator of South Afrika (Nersa), izovunyelwa nguHulumeni kazwelonke ukuthi ikwazi ukubandakanya izinkampani ezincane ezizothi zikwazi nazo ukuziphehlela ugesi ongaphansi kweMegaWatt eyodwa. Kanti ngaphezulu kwalesi silinganiso, iNersa izokwazi ukusiza izinkampani ezifuna ukunikezelwa ngezimvume ngokushesha, lokhu kumele kukwazi ukwenzeka ngaphansi kwezinyanga ezintathu nje vo.
Phela kulokhu izinkampani eziningi ezivele zikhiqiza imikhiqizo eyahlukahlukene, ngaphandle kukagesi ezisuka zikwazi ukuwuthenga kwa-Eskom, zisuke zikwazi ukuzikhiqizela zona ugesi ezisuke zingakwazi ukuwusebenzisa ngaphandle kokwencika enkampani i-Eskom. Kuzokhumbuleka futhi ukuthi cishe izimboni yizona ezidla ugesi omningi kakhulu ngaphezu kwemizi ezimele nje. Ngakho ukuzimela kwezimboni, ziziphehlela owazo ugesi, kungasiza kakhulu i-Eskom ukuthi ukwazi ukuba nozinzo oludingakalayo. Kanjalo nomasipala abangakweleti, ukucacisile uMengameli ukuthi nabo sebezoba nalo ilungelo lokukwazi ukuthenga ugesi ezinkampanini ezizimele.
Lokhu elinye futhi ithuba lokuthi abantu abakhele umasipala thizeni sebengakwazi ukuziphehlela nabo owabo ugesi maqede bawudayisele umasipala. Kulokhu nokuningi akunekele izwe uMengameli, uma kungenzeka ngendlela eyiyo, kuzolisiza leli lizwe ukuthi likwazi ukuheha abatshalizimali baphakathi nabangaphandle, kwazise abaningi sebethiywe yilesi sigameko sokudamane kuhambe ugesi noma yinini. KwaboHlanga, nonjiniyela babo, kumele balithathe leli thuba, bagxile ekuphehlweni kukagesi ukuze bangasileli emuva ngenxa yokungasiboni lesi siga sika-Eskom sesilethe ithuba elihle kakhulu ukuthi bangene bagxile kule mboni yezokuphehlwa kukagesi.
