Africa cannot wait any longer for energy, Gwede Mantashe tells conference
The energy minister says the continent’s prosperity depends on solving energy poverty
19 October 2022 - 11:01
by Kyle Zeeman
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Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe speaks at the Africa Energy Week conference in Cape Town, October 18. Picture: REUTERS/ESA ALEXANDER.
Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe says power instability in Africa is more about leadership failures than lack of resources.
Addressing delegates at the African Energy Week conference this week, Mantashe said Africa’s prosperity depended on solving energy poverty.
“Energy poverty is not an academic exercise in Africa, but it is our lived experience.”
He said countries needed to focus on providing power to their citizens to ensure economies do not collapse.
“We must turn around this abnormality. Africa must no longer wait. Changing this abnormality requires a greater level of commitment than ever seen before because Africa’s future depends on it.”
He said the time had come for Africa to cast off small ambitions. “I always describe this as a leadership issue more than a resource issue. Leadership on the continent must take responsibility and lead.”
SA is experiencing stage 3 load-shedding, downgraded from stage 4 announced on Tuesday morning. It follows the longest run of load-shedding in the country’s history — a record 33 days. Eskom restored full supply for one day before again implementing rolling blackouts.
South Africans have endured 130 days of load-shedding so far this year. The country had 48 days of load-shedding last year, and 35 days in 2020.
Mantashe recently called on the public to give renewable energy projects time to generate power, saying load-shedding will not be resolved in a few days.
“When people want to have a dig at me, they say ‘We need more renewables and there will be no load-shedding’. I am not an engineer and I don’t pretend to be one, but I always tell them my experience is that when you deal with renewables, you give the contract [and] you have an agreement with them. You must give them time to build the plant to generate energy
“If you give a permit for any renewable project to come on stream, don’t expect them to resolve load-shedding this weekend. They will build it, it can take up to 12 months or 18 months, and then that energy is generated. That is my experience. Engineers can correct me if I’m wrong,” he said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Africa cannot wait any longer for energy, Gwede Mantashe tells conference
The energy minister says the continent’s prosperity depends on solving energy poverty
Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe says power instability in Africa is more about leadership failures than lack of resources.
Addressing delegates at the African Energy Week conference this week, Mantashe said Africa’s prosperity depended on solving energy poverty.
“Energy poverty is not an academic exercise in Africa, but it is our lived experience.”
He said countries needed to focus on providing power to their citizens to ensure economies do not collapse.
“We must turn around this abnormality. Africa must no longer wait. Changing this abnormality requires a greater level of commitment than ever seen before because Africa’s future depends on it.”
He said the time had come for Africa to cast off small ambitions. “I always describe this as a leadership issue more than a resource issue. Leadership on the continent must take responsibility and lead.”
SA is experiencing stage 3 load-shedding, downgraded from stage 4 announced on Tuesday morning. It follows the longest run of load-shedding in the country’s history — a record 33 days. Eskom restored full supply for one day before again implementing rolling blackouts.
South Africans have endured 130 days of load-shedding so far this year. The country had 48 days of load-shedding last year, and 35 days in 2020.
Mantashe recently called on the public to give renewable energy projects time to generate power, saying load-shedding will not be resolved in a few days.
“When people want to have a dig at me, they say ‘We need more renewables and there will be no load-shedding’. I am not an engineer and I don’t pretend to be one, but I always tell them my experience is that when you deal with renewables, you give the contract [and] you have an agreement with them. You must give them time to build the plant to generate energy
“If you give a permit for any renewable project to come on stream, don’t expect them to resolve load-shedding this weekend. They will build it, it can take up to 12 months or 18 months, and then that energy is generated. That is my experience. Engineers can correct me if I’m wrong,” he said.
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