Cape Town – In her first speech as a member of the EFF, former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane criticised the ANC for its inability to address load-shedding in South Africa.
Mkhwebane, who was recently impeached as the public protector by the ANC and DA (Democratic Alliance), asserted that only the EFF could effectively resolve the energy crisis.
She said that the ANC had made empty promises to end load-shedding and claimed that there was no scientific evidence or engineering plan to support their claims.
“For as long as the ANC is still in power, load shedding will remain and will get worse,” former public protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane makes her maiden speech in Parliament as an EFF MP.
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— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 24, 2023
“On more than one occasion in the past five years the ANC president C has assured the people of South Africa that load-shedding would be a thing of the past but things just got worse.
“At the beginning of this year the secretary-general of the ruling party said load-shedding would end before December 2023 — but there are no scientific or engineering demonstrations, evidence or science that load-shedding will end under this government,”Mkhwebane said.
Mkhwebane argued that the EFF’s roadmap for electricity reliability, as articulated by Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu, is the only viable solution, which involves securing baseload electricity generation from sources such as coal, nuclear, hydroelectricity, and gas conversion.
“At the centre of the SA electricity problem and crisis are independent power producers,” former public protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane addresses Parliament for the first time as an EFF MP.
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— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 24, 2023
She also criticized the role of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) imposed by Western nations on Eskom.
Other opposition MPs echoed her skepticism, suggesting that the ANC’s recent efforts to address load-shedding were election-driven rather than a genuine resolution to the crisis.
Mkhwebane was sworn in as EFF’s newest Member of Parliament (MP) on Friday.
She said she was not affiliated with the ANC and emphasised her belief in the EFF’s principles, particularly their stance on land expropriation without compensation and the importance of the state owning economic structures and providing free education.
♦️In Pictures♦️
The EFF welcomes its newly sworn-in Member of Parliament, former Public Protector Fighter @AdvBMkhwebane.
-Advocate Mkhwebane boasts a rich history in civil service, including key roles as a Senior Researcher for the SAHRC, Senior Investigator in the Office of… pic.twitter.com/tfDS4MhIXh
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) October 20, 2023
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu