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Solar panels are seen near the cooling towers of a retired coal-fired Komati Power Station near Komati village in Mpumalanga on 09 May 2024.
Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has assured businesspeople, especially in the mining sector, that government will look for better ways to implement the just energy transition.
Speaking on the first day of the two-day Investment and Mining Conference in Middelburg in Mpumalanga, Ramokgopa said the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations should not be implemented haphazardly.
He expressed concerns that the decommissioning and re-purposing of the Komati Coal Power Station near Middelburg has left a negative impact on livelihoods of residents.
“There are lessons that we have learned in Komati, that Komati was a thriving area and then you just shut down the power station. Go to Komati now, it is a ghost town. But most importantly, those who had an income out of Komati, today they can’t place food on their tables and yet we are celebrating that we have reduced the emissions. So, our argument is that it’s not about the reduction of the emissions, it’s also ensuring that communities still have the ability to put food on the table. And every time when I’m with my peers from around the world, I say the best lesson that comes out of Komati is how not to transition.”
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu called on the private sector to join hands with government to improve service delivery and create job opportunities.
Ndlovu says partnerships between businesses and local municipalities could play a meaningful role in improving the local economy.
“Mpumalanga is very strong in terms of coal, is very strong in terms of agricultural and tourism. We said that we want to diversify the economy of the province. So, we are inviting big companies to come and invest here in Mpumalanga. So that is the purpose of the investment and the target for us is at least to get pledges of more than fifty billion province”
