The DA, EFF and IFP had mixed responses to the Special Appropriation Bill which will be signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, after it has been approved by the National Council of Provinces.Sifiso Buthelezi, chair of the appropriations committee, said while the ruling party supported the bill , government needed to ensure strict conditions for the transfer of the funds.
Buthelezi also urged municipalities to ensure that their communities paid for electricity. “We call on all people to pay for the usage of electricity. Municipalities need to perfect their billing systems.”The DA's Ashor Sarupen was critical of the bill, insisting that the ANC failed to attach conditions suggested by the DA. “The bill is unconditional, it allows the minister to transfer the money to Eskom without any preconditions being met.
Sarupen said the utility had “the gun to the head of this government. Every citizen of the country is held hostage by Eskom. We are hostage to load-shedding, which causes massive economic damage. We're hostage to these bailouts demands.”The EFF's second in command, Floyd Shivambu, said his party did not support the bill and that the ANC needs to address the deeper issues which affect Eskom, instead of pouring billions into bailouts.
“We have the chairperson of the board who is 'incompetent' and has been appointed as an acting CEO. There is no stability in terms of the leadership of Eskom.” Shivambu also argued that coal suppliers to the utility were selling coal at exorbitant prices, an issue that is “deliberately ignored by politicians”.Elphas Buthelezi said the IFP supported the bill on the basis that the economy would suffer if the power system collapsed, but he cautioned against short-term solutions.
“We need privatisation, we need unbundling of Eskom but your alliance partners are preventing you from doing it. We need to create competition for power utilities so that private firms can produce electricity, put it into the grid so there is a competitive electricity supply in SA.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Another lifeline for Eskom - MPs' mixed reactions to Special Appropriation BillMPs debated the decision by finance minister Tito Mboweni and the government to give power utility Eskom yet another lifeline - this time R59bn. Yea because South Africans are known for being reasonable about these things. They will not start paying without real consequences. Mxm!!!🙄 🤣
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »
Scopa MPs slam no-show ministers at meeting to discuss Eskom financesMPs have accused top ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet of undermining parliament after they snubbed a SCOPA meeting to discuss the billions of rands owed to cash-strapped Eskom by municipalities. Scandalous how they care about the biggest crisis in South Africa 😡🤯 The ministers must be worried sick. In the words of BalekaMbete (discussing an estimated 300k people dying of AIDS due to denialism): 'I was too busy'
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
Scopa MPs slam no-show ministers at meeting to discuss Eskom financesMPs have accused top ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet of undermining parliament after they snubbed a Scopa meeting that was to discuss the billions of rands owed to cash-strapped Eskom by municipalities.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Eskom goes after Deloitte for corruptionThe action forms part of Eskom’s attempts to reclaim funds that were lost through corruption as part of the state capture project 🔒 Remove MR RUBBER MAN at Eskom Which State Capture project? The one currently on course? We are bloody tired of this rhetoric, and it really doesn't take away your incompence.
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »