Page 11 - AfrElec Week 03 2022

AfrElec COAL AfrElec

South Africa’s energy

minister country should be

careful not to ditch coal too

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa’s Mineral Resources and Energy rational voice. Exiting coal in order to honour
Minister Gwede Mantashe is adamant that coal’s international climate change commitments must
time as South Africa’s energy source has not be done systematically, he said.
passed. “Any programme we take must be systematic,
Speaking in a keynote address at the Energy it must protect livelihoods and it must protect
Summit, hosted by the South African Youth lives.”
Economic Council on 13 January, Mantashe Mantashe said there was tension between
again reiterated that South Africa’s clean energy reducing emissions by providing “clean” power
transition should not be rushed, and that devel- and the economic impact of the coal sector, par-
oped countries granting South Africa funds for ticularly on peoples’ livelihoods. Considering
its energy transition are not doing this out of the the stretch of coal mines and coal-fired power
goodness of their heart. stations between Mpumalanga towns Belfast
This comes after South Africa’s President and Delmas, Mantashe said that it wasn’t about
Cyril Ramaphosa announced at COP26 in the coal in the area but rather the people who
Glasgow last year that his nation had secured a are dependent on coal for their livelihoods –
commitment of ZAR130bn ($8.5bn) of highly and that is what the just energy transition must
concessional climate financing from developed address.
countries and the EU to phase out coal. He also warned that destroying the coal sec-
Almost 90% of South Africa’s energy is pro- tor would “hurt” the transformation agenda,
vided by coal. as a number of black capitalists had made their
“They will not give us that money; they will money in the sector.
give [it to] us if we take it as a loan bearing inter- Secure energy supply shouldn’t only be about
est rates. That is how it works, that is what the the cleanliness of energy, but there must also be
world is like,” said Mantashe. considerations of addressing energy poverty so
He said small economies are in danger of that people can access and meaningfully benefit
becoming a “conduit” of ideas of developed from energy, he said.
economies. That suppresses a developing econ- “We will breathe fresh air, but in darkness,”
omy’s ability to determine its own development he said.
trajectory, Mantashe said. Developing econo- “You do not destroy what you have, on the
mies must insist that industrialised economies basis of hope that something better is coming.
– big polluters – take responsibility. You build for the future on what you know and
Mantashe also said in his speech that he has what you have. That approach to me is scientific,
been labelled as a “coal fundamentalist” and systematic and protects the present ability of the
a “fossil fuel dinosaur”, but that he was being a state to supply energy to people,” he said. ™

Week 03 20•January•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11