A week ago, on 28 April 2023, the President finally published, in the Government Gazette, his decision to bring Section 6 of the National Energy Act (NEA), into operation. A couple of days before that The Green Connection and the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) received correspondence from the State Attorney on behalf of the President and the Minister in the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), that the President had decided to bring Section 6 into operation with effect from 1 April 2024.
This follows more than two (2) years of unsuccessful correspondence with the President and Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, in which The Green Connection and SAFCEI urged the President to bring Section 6 into operation. The goal of that engagement was to progress and develop a proper Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) in compliance with Section 6, for the country. After the President still hadn't taken action, The Green Connection and SAFCEI launched legal proceedings in January 2023 to review (i) the President’s failure or refusal to bring Section 6 of the NEA into operation and (ii) the Minister’s failure or refusal to advise the President to bring Section 6 into effect.
SAFCEI’s Executive Director, Francesca de Gasparis says, “It is good news that the President has capitulated and that he has already made public his intention to bring Section 6 into operation, but 1 April 2024 to start the IEP process in terms of Section 6 seems to be kicking the can as far down the road as possible. And we have not seen real commitment from the government to do what is needed for the energy crisis to be addressed. The situation is incredibly urgent, South Africa is facing a long cold winter with power cuts over 6 hours per day at present. Why does the government need so much time to start the overarching plan for energy? Why plan for the IEP for next April 2024 when the energy crisis should be their top priority? This is not even the bare minimum of what is needed. Government must act faster!”
#NuclearFreeSA #EnergyPlan4All
Read the full press release here.
See the latest Energy and Climate news here.