Small Projects Programme News Today

After spending the past 5 years, since his appointment as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, frustrating and blocking the full participation of the private sector in the energy sector – Gwede Mantashe has made a shameless turn and is now accusing the private sector for the load-shedding crisis. The reality is that no amount of blame shifting will hide the undeniable fact that Mantashe has, since his appointment, failed to move the needle on the procurement of independent power g...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said that no amount of blame shifting will hide the undeniable fact that Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has, since his appointment, failed to advance the procurement of independent power generation and the incentivisation of private investment in the energy sector. Mantashe recently blamed the private sector for not investing in new power plants, which he says has led to loadshedding.  

After five years of research, development and being ‘shovel ready’, locally-owned renewable energy companies have been effectively frozen out by Gwede Mantashe’s latest procurement announcement. Local Independent Power Producers have been left with stranded projects and five years of cost...