By Lehlohonolo Lehana
Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams has defended a proposal from gas-producing consortium that promised to invest R26 billion which seeks to lease the City’s two power stations for 30 years.
Opposition parties in Tshwane blocked the adoption of a report which would have allowed the proposal to be publicised for public comment.
The mayor presented a forensic report to the council on Tuesday.
The report outlined an unsolicited bid from the Kratos consortium seeking to lease two of the City’s power stations.
The company promised 35 000 jobs would be created in the long term.
In addition, the City would benefit from the power produced by the turbines to be installed.
This would add about 800 megawatts of electricity for the City.
Williams faced accusations of being overly involved in the process after the ANC, EFF, and ActionSA released a meeting recording discussing the bid proposal.
At a media briefing at DA headquarters in Johannesburg on Friday, Williams defended the report and the proposal offered by the consortium.
He said opposition parties had acted prematurely in not supporting the report to move forward for public comment.
The Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations have not been operational since 2014.
Williams said the City had spent R2.4 billion on salaries and maintenance, despite the power stations not producing electricity.
More than 500 people at these plants are being paid without working.
“We have paid R2.4 billion for power stations that do not produce any single electron, 550 employees that do not have a job to do that we are paying for. The ANC, ActionSA and the EFF want these employees to come to work and not do anything.
“We want them to become productive. The investment is a catalytic investment. Thousands of jobs will be created, and that would be the end of load shedding for the City of Tshwane,” he added.
The report remains in limbo as Williams faces a possible motion of no confidence, with a council meeting expected next week.