ININGIZIMU Afrika inohlaka olubizwa ngeNational Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), okuyilona olucubungula izicelo zalabo abafuna ukubamba iqhaza embonini yezamandla, okubalwa kuyo kakhulukazi ugesi.
I-Nersa yiyo ecubungula izicelo ze-Eskom uma ifuna ukunyusa intengo kagesi. Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izinqumo zokunyusa intengo kagesi azithathwa budlabha nje, kungabhekwanga zinhlangothi zonke ukuthi izinqumo ze-Eskom zingaba namiphumela mini engahlukumeza kabi abasebenzisi bakagesi.
Ngo-2018 i-Eskom yenza isicelo sokunyusa intengo kagesi kakhulu. Ngaphezu kwesicelo sokunyusa intengo kagesi njengokujwayelekile minyaka yonke, i-Eskom yaphinda yacela ukuthi ivunyelwe ukuthi ikwazi ukwengezela ngokuqoqa imali engangoR66.7 billion ngaphezulu.
I-Eskom yathi lo R66.7 billion ongezelelwayo yimali eyalahlekela i-Eskom eminyakeni emithathu elandelanayo okuwu-2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, lapho i-Eskom yaba nezinkinga ukuqhuba umsebenzi, kwafuneka icele ukutakulwa uhulumeni ngemali ukuze ikwazi ukuqhubeka nokukhiqiza nokusabalalisa ugesi.
Impikiswano enkulu yaqala lapho iNersa ithi hhayi iyaphikisana nesicelo se-Eskom ngezizathu zokuthi inani elicelwa yi-Eskom ukwenyusa intengo kagesi lalikuzomba eqolo kakhulu kubasebenzisi bakagesi abangabasebenzisi bakagesi emakhaya; kanti futhi le ntengo ephezulu kakhulu yayizoba nemiphumela emibi kakhulu ekwandiseni izindleko zokuqhuba umsebenzi emabhizinisini amaningi. Imiphumela yalokhu yayizonyusa kakhulu ukwehla kwamandla emali. Lokhu kwakuzokwandisa ukulahleka kwemisibenzi nokulahleka kwamathuba emisebenzi.
I-Nersa yaphinda yathi asikho isidingo se-Eskom sokuthi ifune ukugixabezwa ngoR66.7 billion, ngesizathu sokuthi imali eyabalahlekela ngale minyaka emithathu ebaliwe. I-Nersa yathi i-Eskom iyazenzisa nje, ikhala izinyembezi zengwenya, ngoba yathola ukutakulwa nguhulumeni ngezizumbulu. I-Nersa yathi bazothatha le mali uhulumeni atakula ngayo i-Eskom njengemali ejwayelekile ekhokhwe abasebenzisi bakagesi. Ngenxa yalezi zathu, iNersa yavumela i-Eskom ukuthi izovunyelwa ukubuyisa kuphela uR32.69 billion emalini eyabalahlekela eminyakeni emithathu.
I-Eskom yavuka injebomvu ngalesi sinqumo seNersa, yagijimela enkantolo ifuna isinqumo siguqulwe. Noma-ke ngingavumelani nale nto ye-Eskom yokuthanda ukugijimela ezinkantolo, lapho ichitha izigidi ngezigidi ikhokhela abameli ngokungenasidingo; kodwa-ke nazi izizathu i-Eskom elwela lelo nalelo senti engalithola:
* I-Eskom kunemali eningi okumele ngabe iyayithola kodwa engayitholi ngoba kunabantu abaningi abangawukhokheli ugesi ngoba bewuntshontsha.
* Kuthiwa eSoweto abantu abakhokhela ugesi ngokwethembeka bangabalelwa kwabathathu kuphela ebantwini abayishumi (30%).
* Uma i-Eskom izama ukuvala ugesi kulabo abangakhokhi, labo bantu bagijimela ezinkantolo ukuthi ivinjwe i-Eskom ekuvaleni lowo gesi. UMthethosisekelo wezwe lakithi usetshenziswa budedengu yilabo galakajana ukuthi bangavalelwa ugesi; uma kuthiwa kunabantu abadala kakhulu noma kunezingane ezincane kakhulu kulowo muzi okumele kucishwe khona ugesi, izinkantolo zimame zivune labo abangakhokheli ugesi becasha ngezingane nezaguga.
* Kuneminyango eminingi kahulumeni engawukhokheli ugesi, kunezikole eziningi ezingawukhokheli ugesi. Kunabantu abaningi okuthiwa badla imbuya ngothi, kuthiwe mabathole ugesi mahhala kodwa uthole ukuthi iningi labo lihamba ngezimoto zikanokusho.
* Kuphinde kube nosomabhizinisi abantshontsha ugesi, lapho uthola ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka ngenxa yenkohlakalo ngokubambisana nabasebenzi bakhona kwa-Eskom. Kanti-ke sekuzwakele ezigcawini ezehlukene mayelana nenkohlakalo nobusela obuhlukene ngaphakathi kwa-Eskom, okuyikho konke okusifake kule nkinga esikuyo yokuhlala kucishwa ugesi.
Yizo zonke lezi zizathu ezenza i-Eskom ibe magange ukuthi kuhlale kunyuswa intengo kagesi, lapho kwaziwa kamhlophe ukuthi kushaywa edonsayo kule lizwe.
Kujeziswa labo abawukhokelayo ugesi, kuthiwe abakhokhe imali emba eqolo, kube kukhona iningi elintshontsha ugesi umathanda.
Abasebenzisa ugesi bangase bazithole bezalelwa yinja endlini, bavuke umbhejezana, ngoba sebekhathele ukuxhashazwa yi-Eskom enyusa intengo kagesi njalo nje, engakhathalele ukuthi kunabantu abaningi abadla imbuya ngothi futhi bengasebenzi.
Okubuhlungu ngezinkinga ze-Eskom ukuthi ukucima kwayo ugesi ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi kubulala ezomnotho wezwe.
Ecaleni eselithathe isikhathi eside, neselibe nobugingxigingxi obuningi, iNkantolo eNkulu iNorth Gauteng, ePitoli, ithathe isinqumo sokuthi abakwaNersa kumele baphinde balufakele izibuko lolu daba lwesinqumo sabo sokuthi banqabele i-Eskom ukuthi inyuse intengo ngokumba eqolo kubasebenzisi bakagesi, ngoba ifuna uR66.7 billion, hhayi lo R32.69 iNersa eyabavumela ukuthi bangawuthola.
Uma iNersa ingagcina ivumile ukuthi intengo kagesi inyuke ngendlela i-Eskom efuna ngayo, sizothola abantu abaningi behlukumezeka bengakwazi ukuwukhokhela.
Iningi labo lizozithola selandisa labo abawuntshontshayo. Akungashaywa edonsayo.
* USolwazi Bonke Dumisa umhlaziyi ozimele.