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Kouga leads the way in efforts to end load-shedding

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Dear Editor

The DA-led Kouga Municipality is leading the way to ensure that it rescues its critical service delivery infrastructure and local economy from the ravages of the rolling blackouts caused by load-shedding.

Under the leadership of DA Mayor Hattingh Bornman the Municipality has made great strides to put in place mechanisms to mitigate the negative impact of Eskom’s load-shedding crisis.

Kouga is in the process of creating an energy hub to optimise infrastructure and energy reticulation.

In January of this year the Municipality was given the green light to construct a 20MW solar plant near Humansdorp. This initiative is just one of many projects aimed at reducing Kouga’s reliance on Eskom.

The municipality is also planning a 160KW solar project to take the municipal building in Jeffreys Bay off the grid and a 1MW solar project geared towards powering critical infrastructure such as water treatment works.

Kouga’s long-term plan is the construction of a 60MW renewable energy plant to produce its own power.

While the DA government in Kouga is leading the way the ANC-led provincial government is providing no assistance to mitigate the disastrous impact of load-shedding.

In a response to questions from the DA, asking whether the EC government is availing any provincial funds and plans to assist municipalities in acquiring alternative energy sources, the office of the Premier responded that at present no funding is set aside for this purpose.

The national government has a dismal record in its efforts to provide alternative energy and the failures of the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) is testament to that.

Over the past five years the programme received close to R1,8 billion in grant funding but instead of utilising these grants effectively to mitigate against the effects of load-shedding on critical infrastructure, more than R170 million had to be sent back to National Treasury.

It is clear that the ANC government does not have the political will to address South Africa’s energy crisis.

As illustrated by the pro-active steps in the DA-led Kouga Municipality, a DA national government will improve the reliability of power supply by unbundling and restructuring Eskom to establish an open electricity market and move away from reliance on Eskom and increase the usage of renewable energy sources.

After the 29 May General Election, we will rescue South Africa by electing a DA government that will ensure energy security and end load-shedding.

Regards

Dr Vicky Knoetze MPL
Tsitsi-Kouga Constituency Leader

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