COSATU statement on President Ramaphosa’s announcement of increases for embedded energy generation caps
10 June 2021
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes President Ramaphosa’s announcement that government will increase the caps for embedded generation to 100MW. In an economy experiencing load shedding and increasingly unaffordable electricity for more than fifteen (15 )years, any additional source of energy must be welcomed.
The lack of reliable and affordable energy threatens millions of jobs in mining, manufacturing, agriculture and in fact in all sectors. Electricity tariff hikes far above inflation year after year rob workers of their already diminished wages.
It is hoped that this announcement will help spur investments in additional energy generation. It is critical that government and industry work together to ensure that all materials used for these generation investments be locally made and not imported. It is essential that when recruitment takes place for these plants, that former mine workers be targeted to help ease the large numbers of workers who have lost their jobs in the mining sector.
Whilst this announcement will help bring additional energy generation capacity on grid in the medium and long terms, it will not resolve the Level 4 load shedding decimating the economy today.