President Jacob Zuma on Friday officially launched the Presidency and Government Energy Saving Campaign, but, apart from reflecting on energy-savings gains made during his administration and appealing for energy use austerity, he remained vague on the campaign’s planned interventions or deliverables.

Zuma told a gathering at the Union Buildings in Pretoria that the lack of energy supply and reserves had “definitely” been central to the country’s depressed economic growth and that government had prioritised energy security as the single most important challenge to effectively “jump-start” the economy. 

While acknowledging that government had failed to “give sufficient and timeous attention” to refurbishing or replacing the ageing electricity generation fleet, the President reiterated that the current supply shortfall was largely the result of the previously excluded majority now being accommodated on the national grid.

“The success in bringing light and joy to almost six-million previously excluded households in townships and rural areas across our country, through a glorious and successful Eskom electrification programme, was achieved by tapping into the artificial electricity reserve that we inherited in 1994.

“There was a belief [at the time] that electricity in South Africa was in abundance; but that was not the case. The greater majority didn’t benefit and that’s what delayed us,” he commented.

Zuma added that an expanding economy had placed further pressure on a dwindling national energy reserve.

“We had to expand the economy and maintain progress, [but this] could have been better managed,” he conceded.

Outlining recent government interventions, Zuma referred to the recent establishment of a Cabinet war room under Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa aimed at improving the maintenance of Eskom power stations and finalising the country’s long-term energy security master plan.

“Our work is ongoing and progressing well. We have a good plan. In the long term, we are looking to develop a sustainable energy mix which includes electricity, liquid fuels, coal, wind, hydropower, nuclear, solar and gas…and some progress is being made,” he said.

Zuma added that, as part of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, 32 renewable power facilities were currently in operation and delivering more than 1 500 MW into the national grid.

“Our energy power stations build programme is also progressing and Eskom is aware of the need to ensure no further delays,” he noted.

Making assurances that “government would play its role”, Zuma outlined that the Department of Public Works had been tasked with ensuring that all government buildings became energy-efficient spaces, while the Department of Energy had recently concluded the Energy and Climate Change Strategy for the Public Buildings Sector, which was to be tabled for Cabinet’s consideration.

“It would not be correct for government to keep telling the private sector what to do to save energy while we ourselves continue with bad energy efficiency practices in government or public buildings,” he remarked.

The President further cited energy efficiency gains made at the Union Buildings, outlining that the installation of motion-sensor lighting and solar panels had yielded energy savings of some 720 432 kW/h.

He further appealed to citizens to be vigilant when consuming energy by switching off lights and plugs and shifting from an “over-reliance” on electricity for cooking and heating to gas and renewable energy.

“We urge the private sector to also engage in energy saving drives and, to encourage this, government is looking to increase the energy efficiency incentives on offer. The current tax rebate scheme on offer to companies will be extended, while proposals will be published for public comment later this year,” he said.

Zuma added that he would receive a report on how the Presidency was performing in terms of energy savings before the end of the financial year.