Eskom state disaster corruption

Solidarity says a state of disaster over Eskom will result in large-scale corruption. Photo: Solidariteit / Facebook and @Eskom_SA / Twitter

A state of disaster over Eskom will do more harm than good

Solidarity says a state of disaster over Eskom will result in large-scale corruption.

Eskom state disaster corruption

Solidarity says a state of disaster over Eskom will result in large-scale corruption. Photo: Solidariteit / Facebook and @Eskom_SA / Twitter

Solidarity expressed fierce criticism against declaring a state of disaster due to the ongoing power crisis.

A STATE OF DISASTER WILL LEAD TO HUGE CORRUPTION

The trade union said government’s inability to use its current power led to the crisis and a state of disaster would once again open the door to large-scale corruption and fraud.

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Solidarity argues that it is insane to trust the government with the powers of a state of disaster when their mismanagement is the cause of the disaster.

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The trade union Solidarity says a state of disaster over Eskom will lead to renewed corruption. Photo: Stock

“The ANC government declaring a state of disaster to deal with load shedding is like trying to put out a fire with petrol,” says Connie Mulder, Head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI).

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“It leaves one cold to think that the same government responsible for banning warm chicken, sandals, and shorts during the previous state of disaster now wants to apply that decision-making ability unrestricted to the power crisis.”

Connie Mulder

Solidarity states that although some benefits are linked to the declaration of a state of disaster, the chances that such benefits will materialise are minimal.

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“The reality is that emergency procurement of energy will take time. There must be specifications on how many MW we will purchase and at what price. Only after that can private investors start building generation plants and then be able to supply power to the grid.”

Connie Mulder

A state of disaster is not going to accelerate this process significantly. It will relax the overview. Mulder explained that this creates the nasty possibility of a corruption crossover between Medupi, Kusile, and Covid purchase fraud. 

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“Minister (Gwede) Mantashe already used the existing legislation in July 2020 to announce a programme for emergency power purchases. With a simple regulation, the Minister can fully stipulate how much power we want to purchase over which term. If the president is unhappy with implementing these tools, the designated vehicle is a resignation letter from Minister Mantashe, not a declaration for a state of disaster.”

Connie Mulder

Solidarity further argues that declaring a state of disaster appears to be an abuse and misapplication of the law for the current crisis and, therefore, that such a decision would probably not stand in the courts.

He said their legal team are currently investigating the matter further.

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“The ongoing power crisis has been with us for more than a decade. If there is any disaster, then it is the ANC’s management of it,” concludes Mulder.

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