AFRICA’S BEST READ January 10 to 16 2020 Vol 36 No 2 mg.co.za @mailandguardian Water wars: Unfulfi lled Too much Confl icts destiny: corruption: doubled Kaizer Zondo in past Chiefs asks for decade at 50 more time Page 11 Sport Page 6 ANC conference Januworry for Cyril Kimberley delegates raise alarm over president’s failures Page 3 Photo: Delwyn Verasamy Matric results Pass rate hides decline in critical subjects Pages 4 & 5 Photo Delwyn Verasamy sPower problems O How to quit coal: Pay off the corrupt Page 2 O Eskom’s top power plant faces closure Page 10 O Govt asks renewables for urgent extra 3 000MW Page 17 Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg/Getty Images 2 Mail & Guardian January 10 to 16 2020 IN BRIEF Pay off the Knobs at Newlands The ongoing cricket series between South corrupt? Africa and England served up dollops of drama at Newlands where the Barmy Army ensured A thought experiment: Would you be the poms played what felt like a home game willing to pay off the corrupt to abandon at Newlands. The pasty-faced tourists, who coal and move to a mixed energy grid were clearly in the majority at the ground, anchored on renewable energy? This apparently got the upper hand because Offi cial would stop people getting sick or dying Proteas Supporters Club members, who have from air pollution, reduce carbon emis- access to early ticket allocations, bought sions causing climate change and keep tickets which they resold to the English. As the lights on. The main reasons South matters reached a crescendo on day fi ve of Africa persists with electricity produced the test match, the “home” support seemed to from coal are vested interests and vanity. embolden English wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, We stay with coal because politically who was caught by the stump microphone hav- connected coal truckers and miners want ing a expletive-laden go at Vernon Philander, to keep profi ting from lucrative contracts. including calling him a “fucking knob”. Their money goes into politics. This is the Predictably, former South African turned kleptocracy that people had been refi ning English player Kevin Pietersen has sprung to since the apartheid state built giant coal Buttler’s defence. South Africans though did power plants, and which former presi- not take too kindly to this unsavoury language, dent Jacob Zuma then perfected. especially as it was Philander’s fi nal innings Behind closed doors, the paying-off -the- for South Africa on what is supposed to be his corrupt conversation is happening. home ground. On numbers alone, getting wind and Interestingly, Pietersen was awarded hon- solar plants to power South Africa makes orary lifetime membership of the Newlands- sense. Per kilowatt-hour, it is cheaper. based Western Province Cricket Club. Countries around the world, including coal behemoths India and China, are can- Eskom rings in the new year celling new coal power plants in favour of Eskom ensured that remnants of the festive renewable energy and storage technology. cheer were left at the door as they welcomed Investors globally don’t want to fund the new year with load-shedding. This will not coal. They have crunched the numbers be wholly unfamiliar territory for new boss and only seen loss in such investments. Andre de Ruyter who started in his position As a result, this government cannot this week. Other than having been among top get fi nancial backing for new coal infra- management at Eskom before, De Ruyter also structure. This reality is the reason the presided over packaging behemoth Nampak Integrated Resource Plan 2019 gives a during an especially turbulent time. The blueprint that doesn’t need new coal. Its unplanned outages have occurred as a result least-cost blueprint would mean coal is of breakdowns, again underpinning the need phased out quickly, but that proposed for proper maintenance at the various power plan wasn’t adopted. plants. So Eskom struggles along, with power COO Jan Oberholzer has cited the example of plants that have been broken by a decade the best-performing power supplier, Koeberg, of minimal maintenance. And plaster is which was aff orded 100 days of applied to Medupi and Kusile, despite maintenance. He called for realistic Teen wants justice in rape case the possibility these new coal-fi red power electricity supply expectations that TWEET OF THE WEEK The British teenager convicted of lying plants may never work properly. Money would allow for power generating about being gang-raped in Cyprus will be pumped into these two to protect units to be taken offl ine for proper by 12 Israelis has vowed to clear her the egos of the politicians who cut the rib- maintenance. name. According to The Guardian, the bon at their commissioning ceremonies. 19-year-old’s legal team are preparing Doing that, and building new coal, will Refugees to be moved on to appeal the ruling which would have add to the more than R400-billion debt The standoff between offi cials and a seen her serve a four-month prison term Eskom has to service. And, if the City of group of refugees in the Cape Town had she not been granted a suspended Cape Town wins its impending court case CBD is coming to a head with the sentence by Cypriot judge Michalis to allow it to buy electricity from suppli- city threatening an imminent secu- Papathanasiou. ers of its own choosing, then Eskom will rity operation against the group. She was allowed to return home to no longer have a monopoly. Member of the Mayoral Britain on Tuesday after spending a If it had to compete fairly, Eskom would Committee for safety and security month in prison. die. So the only reason we continue down JP Smith told GroundUp this week The teen reported the sexual assault this path is the fact that burning coal is that, contrary to reports by refugee while on holiday in the party resort lucrative to vested interests, and politi- leaders, the city would not enter- of Ayia Napa last July. She reportedly cians won’t admit that they — and their tain temporary shelters nor the retracted the rape complaint after predecessors — made many mistakes bulk relocation of people to other eight hours of police questioning. with Medupi, Kusile and Eskom. countries. Women’s rights groups in Cyprus, as This could be solved by paying off the The standoff started in October well as Israeli women protesters, ral- vested interests. If the rent-seekers prof- last year when refugees occupied lied around the Briton during the court iting from coal could profi t from wind the United Nations Human Rights battle. and solar, we would be living in a very Council (UNHCR) offi ces in the diff erent country. One where the lights city, demanding to be allocated safe Pearl Harbor and the Great Escape stay on and where people don’t die from spaces after the latest outbreak of The case of former Nissan head Carlos coal power plants pollution. It’s a thought xenophobic violence. After being Ghosn’s fl ight from Japan continues worth considering. Would it work? And forcibly removed from there, the to enthrall. The Wall Street Journal what does this say about what’s really group took refuge at the Methodist Church off ered to assist in the eff ort to combat the reported this week that Ghosn’s team driving our energy crisis?— Sipho Kings abutting Greenmarket Square, which they have ongoing Australian wildfi res. The prov- had apparently enlisted the help of also been asked to vacate. Smith said a screen- ince’s MEC for government, environmen- a former special forces operative to ing space will be created where UNHCR and tal aff airs and development planning, plan his audacious escape. Ghosn this home aff airs offi cials could assist refugees. Anton Bredell, told the Cape Argus: “Our week addressed international media initial off er to the Australians included a in Beirut where he refused to divulge Megxit 2020 fi refi ghting team of approximately 40 details of his escape but rather spoke Published by M&G Media Ltd, SUBSCRIPTIONS Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and her highly experienced, wildland of how the charges he faced in Eighth Floor, Metal Box, Inquiries: 011 447 0696 or husband Prince Harry have decided to “step fi refi ghters and a command Japan were akin to the attack 25 Owl Street, Braamfontein SMS “subs” to 34917 back” from their royal duties. The Sussexes element, with the possibil- on Pearl Harbor. Werf, Johannesburg, South Complaints: 0860 070 700 Africa. announced the news in a statement, adding ity of expanding on this if Details have now also PO Box 91667, Auckland Park, DISTRIBUTION that they will be working towards being fi nan- required.” emerged of the operative 2006. TO SHOPS cially independent. 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