South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, announced the government’s intention to develop a nuclear power plant, emphasizing a manageable and financially sustainable approach. Speaking at the Cabinet Lekgotla in Tshwane, he outlined plans for the country’s energy future.
Nuclear Power at a Manageable Pace
Dr. Ramokgopa highlighted the significance of nuclear energy in stabilizing the nation’s baseload power supply.
“In the long term, we need to ensure that we anchor the baseload and nuclear is an important part of that intervention,” he stated. “We are working on the framework for procurement because we don’t want to discredit the process through a procurement process that is not transparent. We will do it at the scale and speed that we can afford as a country.”
Addressing Electricity Affordability
The Minister expressed concern about the rising electricity costs that disproportionately impact poorer communities.
“The poor and those that are located in the townships are finding it exceptionally difficult to afford the increases in electricity. The pricing and the tariff are prohibitive, and a lot of our people across the length and breadth of the country are not in a position to afford electricity,” Ramokgopa said.
He acknowledged long-standing issues with the distribution grid, attributing them to underinvestment by municipalities.
“Those are challenges on the distribution side… and we know that over a period of time, municipalities have underinvested in the maintenance, replenishment and protection of the distribution grid, and of course, we are paying the price now,” he added.
Affirmative Action Policies to Remain
At the same event, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, reassured the public that affirmative action policies, such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), will remain intact under the seventh administration.
“These are foundational principles to the establishment of the Government of National Unity. Included in there are priorities in relation to social justice, equity, and redress,” Tau emphasized. “The question is, what do we do going forward? Of course, we need to look at the next wave of [BBBEE]… where there are lessons to be learnt, we take those lessons into account and where there are greater opportunities to be introduced, we need to be able to introduce those.”
Focus on Economic Growth and Transformation
Minister Tau underscored the administration’s commitment to economic growth and development, with a strong emphasis on industrialization and transformation.
“We have placed this firmly on the agenda of the programmes that would be driven by this administration, and that is why we always say we are focussing on industrialisation, but we are equally focussing on transformation,” he said.
Leveraging Operation Vulindlela
A critical initiative for the new administration will be leveraging Operation Vulindlela, a programme aimed at enhancing efficiency in key sectors.
“This would be a focus on network industries amongst others… looking at energy, looking at logistics in particular, the digital economy and other areas. The fact that we’ve made significant progress in that regard enables us to use that as a springboard to grow the economy focused on industrialisation and re-industrialisation,” Tau noted.
He stressed the importance of broadening the base of economic participants to create much-needed jobs.
“But also, a deliberate and conscious focus on transformation because, of course, this will enable us to broaden the base of entrepreneurs in the country [and] to broaden the base of participants in the economy of this country and enable us to grow the jobs that this country so much needs,” Tau concluded.
This blend of strategic energy planning and inclusive economic policies aims to guide South Africa towards a more stable and equitable future. The government’s commitment to both transparency in procurement and equitable economic growth underpins these initiatives, promising significant advancements in the nation’s energy and economic sectors.
