Warwick Bruce Chapman

Speech to eThekwini Full Council:

Why are there no national television campaigns outlining all the incentives business and residential electricity users should have to reduce their consumption and utilise alternate energy sources?
Where is there no nationwide campaign to lead by example and reduce consumption in the public sector?
Why are incandescent bulbs still legal in South Africa?
Why is Eskom’s leadership in turmoil at such a critical time for the country and our economic growth?
Why did Government and Eskom consistently ignore critical advice on generation capacity, coal stocks, procurement standards?
Why is government not taking the electricity crisis seriously?

I could go on but the answers will all be the same: The South African Government and its parastatals, led by you and all of your ANC-affiliated, cadre-deployed cronies, care first and foremost about using power to enrich one another and only secondarily about doing their jobs.

This attitude means that, once again, the poorest of the poor in South Africa are going to suffer because of your ill judgement. Some will no longer be able to afford electricity, and some will again freeze during winter and thus the motivation to steal electricity will increase and more and more illegal connections will result.

The knock on effects of your irresponsibility will increase the cost of all goods and services in South Africa at a time when everything should be done to reduce the cost of living and increase the quality of life for all South Africans.

The manufacturing sector in South Africa, which provides 40% of employment in eThekwini, is already struggling to match the productivity of other parts of the world, will now have a massive electricity price increase to deal with. How many people will lose their jobs because of this? How many people will lose their jobs because of your inaction?

Accepting these proposals would amount to the DA condoning the gross negligence at the hands of Government and Eskom in dealing with the security of energy supply over the past 15 years. South Africans should be paying for the generation and transmission of electricity and not for the mistakes of Eskom and Government and most certainly not for lining the pockets of comrades.