ANC LAUNCHES ENERGY EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN

14 February 2008

South Africans have in the recent past been confronted with an uncomfortable reality of having to live with occasional power disruptions as a result of load shedding necessitated by the shortage of electricity.

This prevailing situation has had an adverse effect on the daily lives of ordinary South Africans, providers of essential services and business.

At its meeting held on 11 February 2008, the National Working Committee of the African National Congress agreed to embark on a campaign that would aim to encourage South Africans to use electricity sparingly.

This nationwide campaign under the theme "SAVE ELECTRICITY TODAY SO THAT WE HAVE IT TOMMORROW", would draw the participation of all members of the African National Congress.

Our members would embark on a door-to-door community awareness exercise, highlighting the extent of the electricity problem and encouraging citizens to use it responsibly.

All those involved in the campaign would distribute pamphlets containing energy saving measures.

The Campaign would chiefly aim to, among other things, sensitise all South Africans to conserve electricity in order to:

• To reduce load shedding and in some instances eliminate it.
• Assist in keeping our economy productive and growing.
• Provide stable electricity to allow for Eskom to continue carrying out maintenance of the power stations.
• Increase our electricity reserves so as to have adequate electricity in times of emergencies.

The energy challenges facing our country, have to do with a number of factors such as:

• The growth of our economy over a sustained period of time following policy initiatives and strategies that have been initiated by the ANC led governent to fight against poverty, unemployment and inequalities.
• Economic growth in the country has outpaced the growing demand for electricty and its corrosponding infrustrucutre.
• South Africa is producing some of the most affordable electricity in the world, and also net exporter of electricity to neighbouring countries in the SADC region.
• Wasteful usage of electricity by certain industries and communities on the back of the low costs of electricity.
• Demands-side measures on the back of massive development in the country, including infrastructure, property development, industry boom and to a certain extend illegal connections.
• Insufficient supply on the back insufficient electricity production plants, outdated technologies, upsurge in the coal price etc.
• The low reserve that under normal circumstances are at 15%, and are currently hovering around 8%.

The energy challenges facing us as a nation are serious and overcoming them will require commitment and ingenuity from all South Africans to find solutions. This also gives us an opportunity to develop alternative power supplies such as energy-saving light bulbs and solar water heaters, which in the long run will have positive spin-offs for global challenges such as climate change.

Our government has already launched a Power Conservation Programme to unite the country behind a campaign for energy efficiency. Instructions have been issued for all government buildings to reduce their consumption of electricity.

The public at large has been encouraged to name and shame government departments that do not implement these energy-conserving measures. Government is constantly consulting the private sector to find cost effective and sustainable solutions to the supply constraint.

The ANC acknowledges that the current situation poses real challenges to the day-to-day lives of citizens. It is therefore our view that if not adequately addressed, it might have adverse implications for our economy in the future. It is worthy noting that countries such as Brazil, Chile and China have or are suffering from energy shortages due to economic boom. They have however managed the situation by putting in place proper mechanisms to deal with their challenges.

The ANC supports government's Power Conservation Programme. In the next two weeks the ANC will be running its own Energy Efficient Campaign to enhance the initiatives undertaken by our government.

The ANC will work closely with its alliance partners, civil society and business to promote energy saving campaigns. ANC branches will be given a mandate to mobilise and create awareness in homes, businesses and places of work in their areas.

The ANC calls on all South Africans to rally their efforts behind the various energy conservation initiatives, including the ANC's Energy Efficiency Campaign.

The power is in your hands, conserve electricity!

Issued by African National Congress

For more information contact: Jessie Duarte on 079 506 6756 or Tiyani Rikhotso on 079 879 7974