DURBAN - The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has asked David Mahlobo, the Minister of Energy for an urgent explanation on the upcoming Energy Indaba.
Outa has asked Mahlobo to explain the purpose of the indaba as well as oppose to its use as a formal public participation.
The CEO of Outa, Wayne Duvenage, sent a letter to Mahlobo on 29 November that read, "According to the Ministry, it would appear the planned Energy Indaba constitutes a formal public engagement process on energy matters in general, including on the nuclear matter."
He further said " We believe the planned Energy Indaba in the format currently being pursued falls well short of the requirements by law and reason for meaningful engagement on decisions relating to energy mix and procurement."
Duvenage asked Mahlobo to clarify the purpose of the indaba, for a copy of the programme and an account of how it was advertised.
The Energy Indaba is reportedly taking place in Midrand at the Gallagher on the 7th to the 8th of December.
Outa has not received and invitation or formal notice about the indaba and there does not seem to be any information about it in the Ministry of Energy website.
Outa is concerned that this is another endeavour to get the unaffordable and unnecessary nuclear build in motion, by ignoring the necessary public participation process in spite of the high court order in March that this process is to be restarted from the beginning.
Media reports on this suggest that the indaba is about the draft Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) and the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP). OUTA has a strong interest in both of these plans because they are intended as the policy foundation for planning energy and electricity needs including the dubious nuclear build.