Page 14 - AfrElec Week 18 2021

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

SOL AR SCATEC SOLAR Briefing a visiting parliamentary
committee, acting town clerk Mr Godfrey
Scatec Solar signs Call on HYDRO Magijani said the disparity between what
is being collected and the cost of providing
Carbon initiative service was too wide.
“We are currently collecting around 45%
Scatec has today signed the Call on Carbon Zimbabwe: Kariba in $30mn of the bills we send out to the residents and
initiative which calls on countries to back Electricity Bill, Salary ratepayers which is significantly affecting our
their net zero targets with Paris Agreement operations,” said Mr Magijani.
consistent measures to clear a path to reach Arrears Portfolio committee chairperson Mr Joel
net zero emissions. Gabbuza said some of the challenges Kariba
Climate change is accelerating, but Kariba municipality is saddled with a was facing require Government intervention.
mitigation efforts are lagging behind and only ballooning electricity bill, salary arrears and “We have heard the issues affecting Kariba
a fraction of greenhouse gas emissions have statutory obligations fuelled by low revenue municipality in service provision and we
an effective carbon price. collection which is affecting service delivery, are going to compile a report which will be
“We wholeheartedly support the Call the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of forwarded to the relevant committees and
on Carbon initiative. Less than a quarter of Local Government has heard. Government for resolution,” he said.
global greenhouse gas emissions are covered The Zesa electricity bill is now at $30mn
by carbon pricing initiatives, and we need to and growing at a rate of $3mn every month
kick-start a change if we are to achieve the while workers have three months outstanding
needed level of actions and investments”, says salaries. ESKOM
Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec. Kariba municipality’s wedge to offset
Despite the fact that countries representing the bill for services rendered to Zesa is only Asset freeze for Eskom
about 65% of global CO2 emissions, and $1mn per month, leaving a gap of $3mn every
about 70% of the world’s economy, have month. executives
set climate neutrality targets, the level of Council has also proposed that Zesa pays
investment in clean solutions is still too low. for its numerous installations including power In a case that may highlight the value of
It is estimated that investment needs to be lines to counterbalance what it owes. co-operation between SA’s law enforcement
roughly tripled to limit the global temperature Another option was for a special rate agencies in acting against alleged perpetrators
increase to 2°C and increased about fivefold to or a model like the community ownership of corruption at Eskom and other state-owned
meet the target of 1.5°C. schemes found in other areas. enterprises, two former senior executives at
the utility and contractors had more than
R1bn of their assets frozen South Africa’s
Business Day reported.
Eskom’s former capital executive Abram
Masango and former contracts manager
France Hlakudi lost control of major assets,
including homes, pending the outcome of
a trial. Together with three contractors and
six companies, they were hit with a restraint
order, which freezes R1.4bn in assets.
Tuesday’s order, served from 7am to all
parties in SA across Gauteng, Limpopo and
Mpumalanga, came after a process driven by
the independent directorate of the National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The ID drew on
skills in the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and
the directorate for priority crime investigation
to target former Eskom executives and
business people accused of corruption,
fraud and, in the case of one of them, money
laundering.
Court papers show investigators tracked
down property by scouring bank and
insurance data, corporate records, property
reports and car databases. The order applies
to Masango and Hlakudi, and three private
contractors.
The disgraced former Eskom executives’
assets were frozen, along with those of Tubular
Holdings former executive adviser Michael
Lomas; former Tubular Construction Projects

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 18 06•May•2021