UNGQONGQOSHE kaGesi, uDkt Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, uthi omasipala bakweleta i-Eskom u-R78 billion.
URamokgopa uveze lezi zindaba izolo esithangamini sabezindaba ngezinhlelo zokuphehla ugesi.
“Omasipala bakweleta i-Eskom uR78 billion, bona bakweletwa uR349 billion ngamabhizinisi, iminyango kahulumeni nezakhamuzi ezingawukhokheli ugesi. Sizosebenzisana neSouth African Local Government Association (Salga) ukuqinisekisa ukuthi omasipala bayalekelelwa ukukhokha izikweletu zabo. Kunohlelo lokubasiza olwenziwa wuMnyango weziMali kuzwelonke kodwa sifuna omasipala abazongena kulo bahlonyiswe ngamakhono azobasiza ukuthi bangaphinde bazithole kulesi simo,” kusho uRamokgopa.
Uthe u-78% womasipala abangaphansi kohlelo lokuhlela kabusha isikweletu sabo sikagesi abayikhokhi imali okufanele bayikhokhe nyanga zonke.
URamokgopa uthe kuzothathwa omasipala ababili abakweleta kakhulu kuzo zonke izifundazwe ukuze baqale uhlelo oluvivinywayo lokubasiza. Bazosebenzisana noNgqongqoshe wezokuBusa ngokuBambisana nezoMdabu, uMnuz Velenkosini Hlabisa, nezinkampani ezizimele ezizobalekelela.
Ukhale ngokuthi uma isimo sokukweletwa kwe-Eskom womasipala singanqandwa manje, kuyoshaya u-2050 sebeyikweleta u-R3.1 trillion.
Ube eseveza ukuthi izinhlelo zokulwa nenkinga yokucima kukagesi zihamba kahle njengoba sekuphele izinyanga ezine ugesi ungacimi.
“Zihamba kahle kakhulu izinhlelo zokuphehla ugesi. Isimo sishintshile eKusile, Majuba naseMatla njengoba lezi ziteshi ziphehla ugesi owanele. Ezinye iziteshi zikagesi ezingasafelwa yimishini njalo yiTutuka, Kendal neKrile. I-Eskom ibithe akufanele ugesi ongekho udlule ku-14 000MW kodwa manje lesi sibalo simi ku-10 508MW. Okuyisimo esihle kakhulu,” kusho uRamokgopa.
Yize izinhlelo zokuphehla ugesi zihamba kahle kodwa uRamokgopa uthe lokhu akusho ukuthi seludlulile uhlelo lokucima ugesi ngoba zisekhona izingqinamba.
Ubuye waveza ukuthi bazoqinisekisa ukuthi intengo kagesi ayinyuki ngendlela exakile njengoba izinhlelo zokuphehla ugesi sezingconywana kunesimo ezazikuso ngonyaka odlule.
Uthembise ababhekene nohlelo lokucinywa kukagesi ukuze kuvikelwe ingqalasizinda, olubizwa nge-load reduction, ukuthi uyalusukumela udaba lwabo.
Ubuye wakhala ngokuthi emizini ewu-10 million okufanele ukuthi ithole ugesi wamahhala, iwu-2 million kuphela ehlomulayo.
Uthe bazosebenzisana nomasipala ukuqinisekisa ukuthi kuhlomula abantu abaningi futhi basizwe nangama-solar okuziphehlela ugesi welanga.
Uveze ukuthi uhulumeni usuke eyikhiphile imali yokuxhasa okufanele bathole ugesi wamahhala kodwa omasipala abababhalisi abantu abenele.