Cape Town - EFF leader Julius Malema on Monday said the solution to the energy crisis was not a minister of electricity.
Addressing the media after the party’s central command team meeting, Malema said his party would not push for powers to be given to Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
“Why must we ask for more powers for him? These (energy crisis) solutions require no new ministry.
“We don’t want a minister of electricity. Take electricity from (Department of) Public Enterprises) and put it in Energy. That is where it is supposed to be,” he said.
Malema said the EFF did not support Ramokgopa and he should go.
“He is paid a lot of money we don’t have. The government needs every little cent we spend on Sputla, which is not going to help with anything.”
The appointment of Ramokgopa as the minister, he said, was a bluff by President Cyril Ramaphosa to appear as if he was doing something when he did nothing about the electricity crisis.
According to Malema, Ramokgopa was not the right man for the job, given that he had collapsed the ANC leadership in the Tshwane Metro.
“South Africans, you are so gullible that a person collapses a municipality and you say he can restore such a complex matter like electricity.”
He said his prediction was that in the next two weeks “there will be darkness”.
“We are almost at a grid collapse. It is a reality South Africans must know. We are heading to darkness and ANC politicians are doing business as usual,” Malema said.
He also said the EFF Central Command Team noted with extreme concern the dismal failure of the governing party to put practical and implementable solutions in place to address ongoing and escalating electricity blackouts.
“The EFF was vindicated because it is now accepted that it was a premature decision to rush to close coal power stations, or talks of abandoning coal as central to the generation of electricity in South Africa.
“The loans to abandon coal were opportunistic and driven by interference by imperialist forces who want to micromanage South Africa’s energy policy, driven by greed and profit at the expense of the lives of our people, our children’s education and efforts to fight crime that continues to spiral out of control.”
Malema listed some of the EFF’s proposed solutions to the energy crisis, saying South Africa should source expertise from BRICS partners, particularly China and Russia.
“China and Russia have massive experience in electricity generation, transmission and distribution and should therefore be our first point of call,” he said.
Malema also said the most immediate solution to the crisis of electricity in South Africa was to plug in the floating power stations into the grid.
“We know for a fact that the reason Karpowership is not plugged into the grid despite being approved and despite the environmental concerns being dismissed is due to the fact that politicians from the ruling party are negotiating for bribes that must be paid to them.”
He said there were capable South Africans who can bring stability to Eskom, but they were being unfairly and irrationally persecuted in the name of so-called state capture.
Asked about the individuals that could assist Eskom, Malema named former power utility’s CEOs Brian Molefe, Matshela Koko and Jacob Maroga.
“Brian must come back. Matshela Koko must come back so it is all those individuals, Indians, coloured, white engineers. We are in a crisis. They must not ask for money. They must come to rescue South Africa.”
However, he noted that there were allegations against Molefe and there was reason to investigate him.
He defended the recall of the former officials, adding he was not saying charges be dropped against those implicated in wrong.
“I am not saying Brian or anyone’s charges must be dropped.
“Continue with whatever you do, but bring them to help us.
“We have a problem. Can’t you see we have a problem?”
“I am not saying drop charges or they are innocent.
“We are in a crisis and the man is here with skill. Can’t we humble ourselves and ask him?”
Cape Times