Power needs ‘will be met in two years’

Published Mar 12, 2014

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Power needs ‘will be met in two years’

South Africa was likely to have an adequate electricity supply in about two years, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told Parliament yesterday. Three power stations were being built and projects worth R110 billion had been approved from independent power producers. “If we look at this package, I reckon that in the next two years or so we will have adequate electricity supply,” he said. The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs said yesterday that Eskom had applied for a postponement for the requirement that it comply with minimum gas emission standards. Sapa reported department spokesman Albi Modise as saying: “The department is committed to ensuring that South Africans’ rights to an environment that is not harmful to health and well-being are always taken into consideration, while ensuring that economic growth is not hampered.” – Reuters

SAHRC puts water rights above cash

Water companies had a duty to supply poor households regardless of their ability to pay, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said in a report published yesterday. “Private companies contracted to provide access to water should understand this basic principle to ensure that basic access is provided to all households, regardless of availability of finances,” it said. “Water should be viewed as a right rather than a commodity.” The report said the government must upgrade treatment plants, focus on the poorest areas, and penalise companies that breached agreements. – Bloomberg

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