Energy analyst Chris Yelland told Business Day there is a conflict between the interests of the energy sector and the coal sector, and having Mantashe in charge of both would make it more difficult to balance the need for clean energy and the interests of the coal mining sector.
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys predicted nothing would change with such a move.
“We have an ANC problem. It does not matter which minister we have or what department Eskom is under, we will continue to suffer. Our solution to the rolling blackouts is to get rid of the ANC,” Mathys said.
DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia said the move could be disastrous.
“There is a clear and present danger that if this happens, Eskom will never be fully unbundled, as is necessary. Private investment will be pushed to the back burner and under an enhanced version of the status quo — back to the future, as it were — corruption and load-shedding will flourish again.
“The move also has potentially significant financial implications which we are busy unravelling.”
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POLL | Would moving Eskom to the energy department help solve SA’s power crisis?
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The ANC’s calls for Eskom to be placed within the energy ministry has sparked fierce debate, with some arguing it will make little difference to the energy crisis.
The move was proposed during a policy discussion at the ANC’s recent national conference and would see state entities led by relevant departments. The move would see the power utility placed within the energy portfolio.
It would give power to minister Gwede Mantashe, who has been critical of Eskom in the past.
He criticised Eskom’s management in May last year, saying he could not understand why the power utility was resorting to load-shedding when it allegedly had enough electricity in its reserves, and said outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter was not the best person to fix the crisis.
While some welcomed such a move, others questioned whether Mantashe would prioritise Eskom.
Energy analyst Chris Yelland told Business Day there is a conflict between the interests of the energy sector and the coal sector, and having Mantashe in charge of both would make it more difficult to balance the need for clean energy and the interests of the coal mining sector.
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys predicted nothing would change with such a move.
“We have an ANC problem. It does not matter which minister we have or what department Eskom is under, we will continue to suffer. Our solution to the rolling blackouts is to get rid of the ANC,” Mathys said.
DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia said the move could be disastrous.
“There is a clear and present danger that if this happens, Eskom will never be fully unbundled, as is necessary. Private investment will be pushed to the back burner and under an enhanced version of the status quo — back to the future, as it were — corruption and load-shedding will flourish again.
“The move also has potentially significant financial implications which we are busy unravelling.”
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Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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