YIZE sesingcono kakhulu isimo sokuphehlwa kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika njengoba sekuphele izinsuku eziwu-124 ugesi unganqamuki kodwa ezinye izindawo zizocinyelwa ugesi ukuze kuvikelwe ingqalasizinda.
Usho kanje uNgqongqoshe wezikaGesi, uDkt Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, izolo, ngesikhathi echaza ngesimo sikagesi ezweni.
URamokgopa uthe ukunganqamuki umlibe kukagesi kwenziwa wuMnuz Bheki Nxumalo nethimba lakhe labaphathi beziteshi, eliqinisekisa ukuthi imishini isebenza kahle.
“Isimo sokunganqamuki kukagesi isikhathi eside kanjena sagcina ukusibona eminyakeni eyisithupha edlule, kwakuwuJulayi ka-2018. Sinogesi owu-70% njengamanje, ngonyaka odlule kwakukhona owu-55%. Izinhlelo zokushintsha isimo zihamba kahle kakhulu kodwa zisekhona izingqinamba,” kusho uRamokgopa.
Uveze ukuthi bayonga nasezindlekweni zikadizili ngoba kusasebenze okaR3 billion kulo nyaka ekubeni ngonyaka odlule kwase kusebenze okaR9 billion ngesikhathi esifanayo.
Uthe lokhu kuzosiza ekwehliseni izindleko zikagesi ngoba indlela onyuka ngayo ilawulwa nayizindleko zokuwuphehla.
Ubuye wachaza ukuthi yize uhlelo lokucima ugesi lumile kodwa kunezindawo ezicishelwayo amahora ambalwa ukuze kuvikelwe ingqalasizinda.
“Uhlelo lwe-load reduction okuwukucinywa kukagesi ukuze kuphole imishini ewusabalalisayo, luyaqhubeka. Lokhu kwenziwa wukuthi uma singawucishi ingqalasizinda ewusabalalisayo njengama-transformer nokunye kuzosha bese abantu bengabi nawo ugesi izinyanga.”
Ukhale ngokuthi lolu hlelo lwenzeka ezindaweni zabampofu ngoba kwesinye isikhathi kusuke kuwukuthi abantu bakhe izindlu zemiqasho noma kwande imijondolo endaweni.
Ubalule ukuthi imishini ayisafi njalo kanti nohlelo lokuyikhanda luqhubeka kahle.
“Iziteshi zethu ziwuphehla kahle kakhulu ugesi, lapha sibala iKusile, Medupi, Matla, Matimba, ezinogesi owu-70% ophehlwayo. ILethabo nayo yenza kahle njengoba ugesi uku-60% ngisho isiteshi sethu esidala, esineminyaka ewu-50 sisebenza, iGrootvlei, senza kahle.”
Uthe lokhu kuwubufakazi bokuthi noma ngabe isiteshi sikagesi sidala kangakanani kodwa uma ingqalasizinda yaso inakekelwa sizoqhubeka nokusebenza.
Uthe bahlela ukusebenzisana neSouth African Local Government Association (Salga) neNersa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ugesi awumbi eqolo.