Programme of Action of government to restructure the Electricity Distribution
Industry
21 April 2006
The Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Lulu Xingwana will on Monday,
24 April 2006, at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, address the Gauteng Summit
on the Electricity Distribution Industry, where she will outline the
governmentâs programme of action to restructure the industry and make it more
responsive to the socio-economic imperatives of the country, including poverty
eradication and the building of a better for all.
âThis Electricity Distribution Industry Summit is very important. It
coincides with a critical time, when the country will be celebrating the 12th
anniversary of freedom. It is also coming against the backdrop of the Age of
Hope that the President spoke about. A time when the millions of our people who
elected their trusted representatives into power, are expecting accelerated
delivery of quality services such as electricity. This Summit must therefore
serve to give impetus to changing the Age of Hope into a reality of a better
life for all especially the poorest of the poor,â said the Deputy Minister.
Some of the issues that are expected to be deliberated upon at the Summit
included the:
* The roll-out of the programme of establishing the metro regional
electricity distributors through the amalgamation of Eskom distribution and the
municipality electricity distribution
* How the electricity distribution industry can be made more viable and
sustainable in such a way that inefficiencies such as outages can be
eliminated
* How can the industry be restructured such that it is able to contribute
meaningfully to the socio-economic development objectives of government
including the provision of free basic electricity to the indigent as well as
universal access to electricity by 2012.
The one-day summit is expected to be attended by about 300 people
representing the three spheres of government, business, labour and civil
society, Eskom, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the
National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
The summit has been organised jointly by the Gauteng Department of Local
Government, EDI Holdings and SALGA.
Enquiries:
Themba Sepotokile or Mbulelo Musi
Cell: 072 518 6706
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial Government and
Electricity Distribution Industry Holdings
21 April 2006
