I was listening to Prof Thuli Madonsela on Newsroom Africa the other day and I have to say she has disappointed me.
The Prof – in his wisdom or lack thereof – suggested that Eskom should be the one to “buy” the solar system for South Africans.
They say that Eskom has the muscle to negotiate a better price because they will be buying in bulk and it is dangerous to assume that the benefits will accrue to the public!
Maybe they are not South African. This, he said, would ease the energy crisis in SA. I have no problem with anyone trying to contribute to solving our energy crisis.
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Solar is not the way to go
However, I do not think that Eskom is the right instrument to do this, nor do I think that is the way to install solar systems in SA.
My biggest problem is suggesting that Eskom be the agency responsible for solving a problem that was actually created, some 15 years ago, and cannot be solved.
This he said without any qualification. Eskom, in addition to engineering and quality control issues, is rife with corruption.
I don’t know what gives the prof confidence that Eskom is better suited to deal with this problem.
Another problem, and a general SA problem, is where we think our problems can be solved by simply buying goods and services from other countries without thinking creatively.
Economic opportunities for other countries
The issue of SA, and indeed Africa, is always an economic opportunity for other countries. Buying Chinese solar systems creates job and productivity opportunities for China.
We will just be consumers, as always, and we are called “Africa’s largest economy” if all we do is consume things that were never produced.
Going solar is a positive thought, especially for household consumers. But we have to change the paradigm.
We need to think about using what we produce and eventually distribute it to other continents and countries.
In SA, we talk about the lack of technical skills. You can imagine the skills you will create from manufacturing your own solar unit.
On the other hand, imagine what we would do if we had a problem with a solar system purchased elsewhere, and we were frustrated because we could not repair the electronic equipment we imported.
At all costs, and if possible, we, as a country, must start thinking as much as possible to produce goods and services for ourselves.
We should think of ourselves as the largest economy in terms of definitions and terms. We need to think about creativity, productivity and innovation.
Without a radical change in our thinking, we will always create jobs for other countries, consume goods and services while we suffer from unemployment and have social funds as our pride. Just thinking – while it was still legal.
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-Monama is an independent commentator and former leader of Azapo.