Ramaphosa cautions: We are not ditching coal just like that
Coal-rich but energy-starved South Africa will not immediately abandon its fossil-fuelled electricity generating plants as it transitions to cleaner forms of power, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
South Africa, one of the world’s largest polluters which generate about 80 percent of its electricity through coal, is in the grip of an energy crisis.
It has been blamed on ageing power stations, sabotage, and theft of coal and spare parts by organized gangs.
Since 2021, the country has secured several billions of dollars in international loans and grants to support a green transition.
But Ramaphosa cautioned against “the perception that we are called upon to make a trade-off between energy security and a just transition to a low-carbon economy”.
Addressing his African National Congress (ANC) party’s senior officials, he said it was not the case “that we must make a choice between coal and renewable energy”.
“Our energy architecture is 80-percent coal-powered, there is just no way we are going to close those power stations… just like that,” he said.
Two recently built plants, ranked among some of the biggest coal-powered stations in the world, are beset by design problems.
But they will remain operational until the end of their 40-year lifespan, he vowed.
“We have invested a lot of money into those power stations,” he told the ANC meeting.
Plants nearing the end of their shelf lives will be re-purposed for clean energy, he said.
South Africa’s energy crisis has forced scheduled outages, ranging from two-and-half hours to 12 hours in total in a day.
Source: AFP
In other news – RHOJ star Christall Kay needs financial help
Christall Kay cried out for help as she is on the verge of bankruptcy. I’ m really desperate for a gig at this point I can take anything, if there is anyone out there with a gig for me, I would be happy to take it,” she tells ZiMoja. The reality TV star sold her house to businesswoman Kim Bubu who moved-in in 2020 and paid R5 million deposit, but Kim has failed to do the needful after settling in.
“I gave her notice of cancellation in terms of the contract when no payment was forthcoming. She had already been given a 3-month extension. She didn’t pay an installment and tried to pay the last amount through a bond. But this was a cash agreement; it was never a bond agreement,” Kay says. Kay’s mansion was listed on Property24 in 2017 selling for R18.5 million. Learn more
