When Mr Herman Mashaba writes its worthwhile reading his pieces, not because he is aspiring to be the Mayor of the City of Gold, but because he is the founder of Black Like Me. If you grew up in the townships and various predominately black neighbourhoods like I did, you will know of the hair product Black Like Me – I mean, all my sisters have used the product.
With Black Like Me – Mr Mashaba saw an opportunity and took it. And maybe Mr Mashaba’s business acumen has led him to believe that his op-ed on energy poverty possess somewhat of a higher degree of truth than a more actual representation of the situation.
The problem that Mr Mashaba is trying to wrestle with cannot be solved at a utility distribution level. The problem that Mr Mashaba alludes to is a system-wide (national) problem. It is a problem that has engulfed, and is the primary concern, of our state owned electrical utility. In any case such information is widely available, I would rather focus on Mr Mashaba’s piece in order to further clarify some concepts that Mr Mashaba may have mis-represented.
One must understand that the conversation around energy poverty is one that South Africa needs to have, and more so a discussion on energy security is long overdue. Indeed I use the word long overdue because according to the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan, Integrated Energy Plan and the Integrated Resource Plan Update, South Africa was well on its way to defining a pathway that deals with, amongst other key issues, climate change, energy access, technology deployment and energy required to power our economy to reach the National Development Plan target of 5.4% GDP growth per year, etc.
The City of Johannesburg had good intentions when it established City Power as a separate entity of the municipality. In fact, since City Power has been established there has been an increase in direct electrification, and that means access to electricity has increased. The fact that energy poverty (according to the International Energy Agency) is mainly characterised by the lack of access to modern energy services makes Mr Mashaba’s assertions invalid – but there is value in considering what he says. It is not hard to see how human rights – especially those that are clearly stated in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of South Africa – will be severely affected by the advent of regular, but not indefinite, power cuts even if you apply section 36 (the limitation clause) of the Constitution.
Electricity is not the only means to which energy services can be satisfied. Especially when you consider the fact that electricity in winter is a priced commodity. After all there are such things as alternative energy sources including renewable energy options which at the current moment will better suit South Africa’s residential energy consumption patterns. Mr Mashaba should rather think of the present situation as an opportunity to deliver energy services, and not to perpetuate the already out of date wholesale electricity model.
Indeed tackling energy security requires bold political leadership to address, but it also requires innovation with a sprinkling of creativity. It is obvious that South Africa is not in dire need of leadership in the electricity or energy space, but South Africa needs an injection of new ideas and of innovation at least in the sense that problems are perceived with a different outlook.
As a matter of fact, I have been to the communities that Mr Mashsaba speaks of in the article, but what he does not allude to, is the fact that the reliability and quality of supply in those areas (and I will include Diepkloof, Soweto) has been undermined by what is termed people’s power. And this is not people’s power in the sense of ensuring access where there is no access, but it is when people in a dwelling or Erf (consciously) choose to overload the network beyond its technical capacity. The effect being that rolling power cuts occur as soon as demand for electricity places a strain on the network – in particular during peak times, and sometimes the damage is so severe that people in the surrounding area are also affected, beyond the initial dwelling or erf that is contributing to the problem. It is true that nationwide the electricity system is ailing and failing, but sometimes as consumers and citizens, we also contribute to the problem through our actions.
I will give an example in Diepkloof, Zone 4, Morokwen Street there are a number of houses that have backyard dwellers. The backyard dwellings are not metered and there are sometimes three to five dwellings on one Erf. With that said, consider that most of these dwellings have two to, even five, and sometimes more, people per household all paying rent to the “landlord”. The landlord has to make sure they have electricity, whereas water is provided for communally on the Erf. As stated, the dwellings are not metered but they have electricity; the households draw their electricity from the main house and the main house has on average a 20 Amp box. If you apply the same set of conditions to other houses in the street and area – you get a messy situation, where the residential main distribution board cannot adequately handle the electricity demanded, the network itself is not designed to pump out such amounts of power continuously. In order to prevent and minimise damage, the network, through intervention or otherwise will shut down. The electricity supply is there but cannot be delivered due to technical difficulties from the demand side. Can you honestly say this is an example of energy poverty? Mr Mashaba even if you keep the lights on all the time and pump as much power as you promise into the said areas and houses, it will be a fool’s errand as the problem is not entirely an infrastructural one, it is also a behavioural and somewhat technological one.
Mr Mashaba’s suggestion of “smart grid” technology to be rolled out is a worthwhile suggestion and should be commended. It is time South Africa embraced technology not only as a country but at the heart of society in our homes especially when it can transform lives and aid in developing better habits. But until the country deals with the provision of housing, it will not work.
City Power may need to do a number of things in the short term but that is a mandate City Power can receive from the City of Johannesburg. The more long term solution is the provision of housing to residents who are in informal settlements and reside in backyards. Houses serve more than just shelter and domicilium citandi et executandi; they also serve as central points for the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity.
If one thinks of the many constraints and implications that current and future generations have to face – the existing electricity wholesale model will not work for them. Globally electricity production from fossil fuels has led to the acceleration of climate change at a pace that is starting to reverse the many development gains of the last two decades. I share Mr Mashaba’s sentiments about the importance of addressing climate change, but until climate change governance in South Africa has matured to its requisite level, the issues Mr Mashaba states in his article will remain concerns. The concerns Mr Mashaba raised will be dealt with through discretionary policies such as the National Climate Change Response White Paper.
In order to adequately address climate change, South Africa must now enact a Climate Change Act, one that encompasses the Paris Agreement obligations and further strengthens the call for urgent action on adaptation. Climate change need not be seen merely as a constraint but can be an opportunity for invention. With that in mind, a Climate Change Act should be one that enables action and incentives ambition.
Mr Mashaba started an important conversation. However, his argument shows that there is a need to unpack what energy poverty is as opposed to energy insecurity. At a high level, it is time for the country to embark on an integrated planning journey. South Africa needs an updated Integrated Energy Plan, and the next iteration of the Integrated Resource Plan; without these processes we will be stuck in the nether realm of confusion and uncertainty.
Happy Khambule – Project 90 by 2030 Policy & Research Coordinator. Happy holds a Fellowship awarded by the Environmental Entrepreneurs Support Initiative of the Global Risk Governance Programme, Law Faculty, University of Cape Town.
