South Africans can save electricity by going to sleep earlier and boiling less water, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told Parliament on Wednesday.
”Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer. Boil less water; use the microwave rather than the stove; take a shower and not a shallow bath,” she told a special sitting of Parliament to discuss the power crisis.
She was unveiling a 10-point plan to encourage South Africans to change their electricity-usage habits. Amid much heckling and jeering from some MPs, she criticised calls from ”some quarters” to identify culprits and castigate them. ”Crucify, crucify, crucify,” she said.
She was loudly jeered when she thanked the ANC for the leadership ”it has provided in helping us deal with this emergency”.
Sonjica said South Africa’s power crisis is due to the country being part of the ”global village”. There is a ”high demand” of energy globally. ”China, in 13 of its provinces, has the same problem. The growth of India and China has had an impact.”
She said energy markets in Ontario, Canada, have collapsed. There have been blackouts in the United States and Europe, and Brazil has gone ”through the same experience”.
Sonjica said the situation can be turned around. ”We are confident that we have the ability to turn around the situation. We reassure the South African community and the world at large that all our projects will be on course and that the 2010 Fifa World Cup is not under threat.”
Inquiry
However, an independent inquiry is needed to investigate the power crisis and the reasons behind it, the United Democratic Movement said in Parliament following Sonjica’s speech.
”Only a staggering level of incompetence or outright deception can explain this continuous stream of excuses for the crisis. No more. We need answers so that we can fix the problem,” party leader Bantu Holomisa told MPs.
He pointed out that the sudden crisis followed ”right on the heels” of Eskom’s latest tariff-increase request being turned down, adding that calls for President Thabo Mbeki to fire the responsible ministers and senior officials were ”wishful thinking”.
”Mbeki has demonstrated time and again that he will remain loyal to those he appoints even as they directly contribute to his downfall,” Holomisa said.
The Democratic Alliance called for the resignation of former minister of minerals and energy and current Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Party spokesperson on minerals and energy Hendrik Schmidt called on President Thabo Mbeki to fire Mlambo-Ngcuka and Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin if they refused to step down. ”Failing to do so places the task on the honourable president to remove them from office,” he said.
Despite the serious inconveniences South Africans are experiencing as a result of power failures, not a single government leader has bothered to say what the causes of the crisis are.
”The recent apologies by the honourable president and deputy president are noted, but no political leader in government has until today stepped forward to explain the cause, full extent and expected duration of the crisis to the public.
”Notwithstanding the frustration and anger of the business fraternity, the public and everyone else affected by the electricity crisis, they have figuratively and literally been kept in the dark,” Schmidt said.
The Pan Africanist Congress said that with the electricity crisis having clipped more than 2% off South Africa’s expected annual economic growth, more use should be made of solar power.
”Every time the demand for solar energy doubles, the price comes down about 20%,” party leader Motsoko Pheko said. Solar power currently costs about R21 per watt and is falling, compared with about R700 in 1976.
Pheko said the crisis has great implications for poor black South Africans. ”For them it is development delayed and diminished; food security is delayed.”
The crisis also threatens the quality of healthcare, again mostly among the black majority. ”Our education is already at crisis point. Learners studying with candlelight do not advance matric results,” he said.
Nationwide power cuts began again at 3pm on Wednesday, said electricity provider Eskom.
South Africa on Wednesday afternoon was at ”brown stage one”, the lowest level of energy consumption demand necessitating power cuts, said spokesperson Nto Rikhotso.
She said 500 megawatts were being taken out of the grid. This number would increase to 1 000MW and then 1 500MW by peak time on Wednesday evening. The duration of cuts would be two-and-a-half hours.
There was ”no chance” of the power cuts reaching the 2 000MW next level of severity, said Rikhotso. She said a unit in Mpumalanga had gone down, resulting in a loss of generation capacity.
Mines
Meanwhile, Anglo American had 80% of its electricity supply restored at all its South African operations on Wednesday. ”Furthermore, Anglo American welcomes the decision to increase power to the 90% level by the end of this week,” the company said.
Harmony Gold said it was allocated another 5% on Wednesday following a meeting with Eskom and government officials on Tuesday. The additional 5% supply brings to 80% the company’s restoration of power.
”At present there exists excellent communication between Eskom and Harmony and regular updates are being received on the power-supply situation. Eskom will be phasing in the mining industry’s power requirements and we expect to be operating at the allocated 90% requirement on Thursday,” said Harmony.
On Tuesday, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said mines should have 90% of their power back by Thursday.
Last Friday, most gold and platinum mines came to a halt because Eskom said it could not guarantee a stable power supply. Erwin said that by last Sunday 70% of power was restored, but this was not enough for full productivity at the mines. — Sapa