Sizigwaza ngowethu ngokubambezela ukuphothula izinhlelo zokuthenga ugesi kubaphehli abazimele, kuloba uBusi Mavuso

KUBE kuhle ukubona kuphothulwa izivumelwano ezintathu zomsebenzi wokukhiqiza ugesi ovuselelwayo. Ngalezi zivumelwano kuzokwengezwa ugesi ongu-420MW ozophehlwa ngomoya. Loku kuyingxenye encane yokulungisa inkinga kagesi kodwa kusho lukhulu.

Okuphoxile wukuthi lezi zivumelwano yizo kuphela eseziphothuliwe kweziyingxenye yomzuliswano wesihlanu wokuthenga ugesi ovuselelwayo kubaphehli abazimele.  Ngo-Okthoba nyakenye kwamenyezelwa izinkampani eziwu-25 okwaphumelela izicelo zazo kanti kulindeleke ukuthi ziphehle ugesi owu-2 584MW. Kepha-ke umsebenzi ubambezelekile ngoba lezi zinkampani bezingakwazi ukuba nesibalo esanele sabantu baseNingizimu Afrika okufanele babeyingxenye yomsebenzi, nokudalwe wukuthi ziningi izinkampani eziqokiwe.

Ngenkathi isabambezelekile imisebenzi kuqubuke impi emhlabeni, kwanyuka imalimboleko nezindleko zikagesi zaqonga, okusho ukuthi imisebenzi eminingi ibingeke isayingengisa imali elindelekile.

Ngenxa yenkinga kagesi, okumele siyilungise ngokushesha, umbuzo uthi yini esingayenza ukuze kuphothulwe ezinye izivumelwano eziyingxenye yomzuliswano wesihlanu?  Izinkinga zemali ezikhona kuwona zingalungiswa kalula ngokuthi kubuye kuxoxiswane kabusha ngezimali okwakuvunyelwene ngazo ngesikhathi kudayiswa.

Leyo yindlela elula kodwa ingase iguqule umgomo othi imali othenga ngayo ngesikhathi kusuke kufakwa isicelo yiyona ogcina uyikhokhile. Lolo ushintsho olungathula indlela entsha yokwenza izinto uma kudayiswa endalini. Ngeke sikushintshe osekwenzekile kodwa sasingayigwema le nkinga ngokuphothula izivumelwano masinyane. Zikhona izinyathelo ezingathathwa kuhulumeni ezingadingi ukushintsha imali osekuvunyelenwe ngayo, njengokuxegisa umthetho ofuna kube khona abantu baseNingizimu Afrika, okuvele sekwenziwe futhi ngiyakugqugquzela lokho.

Kepha uma izivumelwano zingeke ziphothulwe kufanele sibayekele abantu baqhubekele phambili bafake izicelo emizuliswaneni elandelayo.

Umzuliswano wesihlanu awuhambanga kahle. Impela uhlelo lube nezinkinga kusukela kwabambezeleka emzuliswaneni wesine ngo-2015. Umzuliswano obuthathwa “njengowokunciphisa ingozi” ngokuthenga kubaphehli abazimele  nawo uphoxile njengoba zintathu kuphela izivumelwano ezigcine ziphothuliwe emva konyaka kumenyezelwe abadayisi.

Lezo zivumelwano ezintathu zihlanganisa u-150MW ka-2 000MW obekuhlelwe ukuthi uthengwe. Loko kuchaza ukuthi kusukela ngo-2015 asikaze sibe nohlelo lokuthenga ugesi oluhambe kahle.  Imizamo yokuthenga emibili yokugcina ikwazi ukuthola ugesi owu-570MW kuphela kowu-4 500MW obekuhlelwe ukuthi uthengwe.

Loko kwehlisa ilukuluku labadayisi lokuthi babambe iqhaza emzuliswaneni elandelayo. Kuyabiza kakhulu ukulungiselela nokufaka izicelo nokwenza izivumelwano nozosebenzisana nabo. Uma abadayisi bephelelwa yithemba ukuthi imizuliswano yokudayisa izohamba kahle, bakwazi ukuphothula izivumelwano ngaphandle kwezinkinga. Loko kusho ukuthi bazoba yidlanzana abadayisi futhi azonyuka amanani.

Kumele siphaphame sikhumbule ukuthi umhlaba wonke umatasa nezinhlelo ezintsha zokuphehla ugesi. Abenza le misebenzi banenqwaba yemisebenzi abangakhetha kuyona. Kepha babaliwe onjiniyela kanti namandla okukhiqiza imisebenzi ayagqoza njengoba kufanele asetshenziswe ukubhekana nezidingo zamazwe amaningi njengoba kunenkinga kagesi emhlabeni. Igama lohlelo lwaseNingizimu Afrika kufanele libe seqophelweni eliphezulu ukuze abathuthukisa izinto bezokhetha ukuza lapha, njengamanje lonakele.

Kumele sisivuselele isithunzi sethu. Manje sesibheke ochungechungeni lwemizuliswano emisha. Ukufaka izicelo zomzuliswano wesithupha kuzovalwa mhla ka-3 Okthoba, okuyilona elithinta ukuthenga ugesi okukhulu okuhloswe ukuthi kuthengwe ugesi owu-4 200MW (kuzobuye kwengezwe ngogesi owu-1 000MW ngokuhamba kwesikhathi).

Umnqamulajuqu wokuletha izethulo usuhlehliswe kaningi ngenxa yezizathu ezihlukene, okufaka ukuphinda kabili umthamo wokuthenga obekiwe. Kepha manje sidinga ukukhombisa indlela yokukhetha nokumemezela abaqokiwe esebenzayo, eholela ekutheni kuphothulwe izivumelwano.

Sidinga nokudlulela emzuliswaneni wesikhombisa ngokushesha siqhubekele phambili, sibe sikhombisa ukuthembeka nobungcweti bemisebenzi yokuthenga yeNingizimu Afrika ngazo zonke izikhathi. Lena yiyona kuphela indlela esizosheshisa ngayo ukwengeza ugesi futhi ngamanani aphansi.

INingizimu Afrika yenza kahle ekuhlanganiseni uhlelo ezolwethula kwiCOP27 oluzocacisa ukuthi sizowusebenzisa kanjani u-$8.5 billion esawuthenjiswe yiMelika, i-UK, iFrance, iGermany ne-European Union kwiCOP26. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi sifike eSharm El Sheikh, eGhibithe mhla ka-31 Okthoba nohlelo lokutshala imali olucacisa ngemisebenzi ehambisana nesifiso sokunciphisa ukungcolisa umoya.

I-Business Leadership South Africa (iBLSA) ingathanda kufakwe ohlelweni lokutshala imali indlela ezosetshenziswa ukuqapha indlela imali esetshenziswa ngayo, kubuyekezwe umsebenzi ukuze yonke into ibe yimpumelelo.

Ukube ukuthenga ugesi kubaphehli abazimele akuphazanyiswanga yinkohlakalo yosopolitiki abazicabangela bona kusuka ngo-2015 kuya ku-2019, ngabe izindawo zokuphehla ugesi emzuliswaneni wesihlanu nowesithupha ziyasebenza futhi ngabe ugesi ocinywe ngonyaka odlule ube wuhhafu wokwenzekile.

Ngokocwaningo olwenziwe yiMeridian Economics, i-Eskom ngabe yonge uR2.5bn kanti ngabe inciphise ukucima kukagesi ngo-96.5%. Uhulumeni kumele ukusukumele ngokushesha ukubambezeleka kwemizuliswano yesihlanu nesithupha.

• UNksz uMavuso yisikhulu esiphezulu seBLSA