Govt accused of failing to consult residents on Komati Power Station transition

Residents living on the periphery of the Komati Power Station in Middelburg in Mpumalanga are accusing government and the Presidential Climate Commission of failing to properly consult them on the transitioning of the coal-powered station into a renewable energy hub.

The Presidential Climate Commission and Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, visited the power station.

Some of the locals, especially sub-contractors, are claiming to have lost employment when the power station was decommissioned last year.

“We have people who lost jobs and I’m one of the victims from 2018. But now the chances that are coming back, are they going to cater for everyone? We understand that they will transfer us, but now, what about the contactors? Lots of people are at home; some their houses taken, cars repossessed,” laments one of the locals.

“So, I was hoping that the new transition was going to include my fellow community members to benefit because there are people who went to the university like myself and now, I have lost the job,” says another.

World Bank to finance R9.09bn Komati Energy Transition Project: Green Peace
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Meanwhile, the Presidential Climate Commission Chief Operations Officer, Lebogang Mulaisi expressed satisfaction on the progress made thus far in re-purposing the Komati Power Station despite challenges encountered.

“There’s a multitude of challenges re-purposing, relocating people sorting out economic issues in the area and making sure that all the auxiliary economic activity is there in the area remain. Those are the challenges that are being faced; have the workers being up-skilled with the requisite training that’s needed for them to be used on this site for the future. Those are the challenges. But we are going to have a session with the community members and do in depth analysis in terms of what are the challenges and close the gaps,” she says.

Pilot project to repower Eskom’s Komati power station: Prof. Sampson Mamphweli[embedded content]