Dear Editor
I will invite the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) to brief the Provincial Parliament on the progress made in the Municipal Energy Resilience (MER) Initiative.
With rolling blackouts now reaching outrageous proportions, it is becoming clear to even the staunchest ANC supporters that the National Government cannot solve the energy crisis. When you add the effects of stage 6 blackouts to an already hamstrung economy, you are making it impossible for businesses to survive.
The worst of these effects are of course felt by our SMMEs who are trying to grow and create jobs in their communities, but cannot afford expensive generators to stay open during constant loadshedding. The artificially high fuel price, courtesy of ANC over taxation, means that even those lucky enough to have access to generators can only afford to run them at huge costs.
The Western Cape Provincial Government’s MER initiative aims to empower municipalities to produce their own power, as well as procure power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). This initiative was borne out of the realisation that Eskom will never get us out of this mess, and the Western Cape Government has taken up the challenge to help our own citizens and economy keep the lights on. The City of Cape Town has already shown that it is possible to overcome Eskom’s inefficiency, by using the Steenbras Hydroelectric Power Station to save residents from stage 6 loadshedding.
I look forward to hearing the progress made in this initiative, as it seems to be our best hope of escaping Eskom’s failures.
Regards
Gillion Bosman, MPP
DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism
