The Portfolio Committee on Energy will this weekend interact with their counterparts in the Pan Africa Parliament in a workshop to be held in Midrand, Gauteng from 11 to 12 this month.
The workshop is aimed at enhancing the role and contribution of African Parliaments to energy programmes, policy and legislation development in Africa as well as involvement in the global platform. It also seeks to create a common understanding of energy issues in Africa and explore possible joint programmes as well as partnerships into the future.
Committee Chairperson, Mr Sisa Njikelana, says this workshop is also held in the context of the need for the MPs to support and oversee energy ministries in Africa on various energy programmes and the need to support NEPAD initiatives, especially industrialisation.
Mr Njikelana added that there was a need for a specific focus on the support of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative, which is informed by the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and NEPAD African Action Plan. Moreover, such initiative is a precursor for a response strategy to the current second scramble for Africa.
Please note that workshop is closed to the media, but an invitation to attend a gala dinner to be hosted by NERSA on Saturday at 19h00 is extended to interested journalists. In addition to this, a press statement on the proceedings will be issued.
There will be a site visit to three energy projects within the City of Johannesburg in the afternoon before the dinner. Journalists are welcome as well.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Committee Chairperson, please contact:
Mr Temba Gubula
Cell: 078 735 8809
Tel: 021 403 8307
E-mail: tgubula@parliament.gov.za
