ELM has no record of speeding violations
ELM's inability to meet its financial obligations continues to have widening consequences. Last week, the customer service centre in Vanderbijlpark was shut down by the landlord due to unpaid rent, reportedly amounting to millions.
By August 2024, ELM owed ESKOM approximately R8b, and there are currently discussions that ELM could be placed under full administration.
The speed cameras and accident-recording cameras were removed in Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaaloewer, Vanderbijlpark, and Vereeniging. The associated data was also taken by the service provider. In a nutshell, this means that ELM and its traffic department have no information on outstanding fines from 2021 to 16 July of this year.
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IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Political interference nearly crippled South Africa's energy landscape
Former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe. Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers As South Africa marks a decade of wind energy generation under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), it must also reckon with a period when political interference nearly brought that progress to a halt. At the centre of that disruption stands former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe. Molefe's refusal to sign key renewable energy agreements delayed investment, deepened load shedding, and destabilised the sector. The resulting uncertainty cost the country billions and led to significant job losses, consequences that are still felt in the energy landscape today. Molefe was appointed CEO of Eskom in 2015, after a tenure at Transnet that would later come under scrutiny for enabling large-scale procurement irregularities. In August of that year, he and then-President Jacob Zuma celebrated the first unit of the Medupi coal-fired power station reaching commercial operation. The event was presented as a turning point. Zuma announced that load shedding was over, and the energy crisis resolved. That statement was not only premature, it was deliberately misleading. Medupi had already been delayed by four years and had exceeded its original budget by tens of billions of rand. The final unit would only come online in 2021. These delays placed immense pressure on older coal-fired power stations that needed scheduled maintenance. Without this planned downtime, system stability declined. Load shedding remained a necessary and increasingly frequent tool to prevent system collapse. Rather than use this milestone to support a balanced and diversified electricity mix, Molefe used it to justify delaying the signing of REIPPPP Bid Window 4 power purchase agreements. His reasons ranged from the claim that Medupi's output would suffice, to arguments about the tariffs being too high. Behind these justifications was a clear agenda: stall the growth of private-sector-led renewable energy. The impact of that decision was immediate. Local and international investors paused or withdrew. Project developers halted work. Manufacturing facilities scaled down. One of the most visible casualties was DCD Wind, which closed its newly launched wind tower manufacturing plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone. Construction companies, including established South African firms like CONCO, were forced to shut down. Thousands of jobs were lost, and the momentum that had been building in the renewable sector was lost. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Molefe's actions were part of a broader campaign to disrupt institutional reform in the energy space. He did not act alone. His efforts were supported by Zuma, the Gupta network, former Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown, and two successive energy ministers, Mmamoloko Kubayi and David Mahlobo. It was only after Zuma's recall in February 2018 that political space opened for intervention. Within weeks, incoming Energy Minister Jeff Radebe approved the signing of the long-delayed Bid Window 4 agreements. On 4 April 2018, 27 projects were given the green light, unlocking R56 billion in investment. Why did this level of resistance to renewables exist at a time when the country was in the midst of a worsening electricity crisis? The answer lies in a political battle that continues to define South Africa's energy decisions. It is a struggle between competing factions within the ANC, between those who support transparency and decentralisation, and those who rely on state-owned institutions to control procurement, influence contracts, and preserve patronage. These centralist actors have long promoted mega-projects, including large coal and nuclear builds, as the default strategy for energy security. Such projects are consistently framed as job creators. The implication is that decentralised, private-sector-led electricity generation threatens employment, especially in the coal value chain. This narrative has been reinforced by unions and political allies, even as evidence shows that renewable energy procurement has supported broad-based investment, skills development, and regional economic growth. The Medupi and Kusile projects have made the risk of state-led mega projects clear. Both have suffered cost overruns, delays, and ongoing technical failures. These outcomes have weakened Eskom, undermined supply stability, and exposed public finances to inflated risk. Yet the same centralist arguments persist. Although the Zuma-Molefe axis is no longer in power, resistance to reform continues. In recent months, pressure against independent power generation and market liberalisation has increased again. This reflects a deeper reluctance to relinquish control of an energy sector that has long served as a channel for influence and enrichment. South Africa remains in a fragile position. There is no shortage of technical expertise, investor appetite, or policy guidance. What has been missing, repeatedly, is political alignment and the will to put the country's energy needs above personal or factional interests. If this dynamic does not shift, the country risks repeating the very failures that stalled progress a decade ago. Only a stable, rules-based environment that protects procurement integrity and regulatory independence will allow South Africa to rebuild a credible, reliable electricity future. Thomas Garner holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pretoria and an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Image: Supplied
The Herald
12 hours ago
- The Herald
Bay acting electricity boss dragged out of office by staff
Nelson Mandela Bay's acting executive director of electricity and energy, Tholi Biyela, was forcibly removed from his office at the Munelek building on Tuesday by disgruntled officials who accused him of undermining them and ruling with an iron fist. A large group of officials, accompanied by leaders of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), stormed Biyela's office, demanding his resignation from the position. His removal was preceded by a union meeting. During the meeting, officials voiced their dissatisfaction with Biyela, and a resolution was passed to remove him from office. Acting city manager Ted Pillay has since called a top-level management meeting for Wednesday to discuss the issue and workers' grievances. Samwu shop steward Ayanda Solani said Biyela allegedly undermined engineers who had worked in the city for years by starting a process to appoint Eskom as an independent contractor. 'On top of this, Eskom will also bring its service providers to work on the municipal infrastructure,' Solani said. 'It is as if we are not capable of doing the work we studied for and have been doing all our professional lives. 'This partnership means that Eskom will be procuring material on behalf of the municipality and will attend to electricity faults at a cost. 'This will cost the municipality twice for the same job.' Solani said Biyela wrote a memorandum and prepared a service level agreement that just needed Pillay's approval. 'The turnaround strategy [for the electricity directorate] has not been presented and agreed with the unions, but Biyela is ready to present it at the next standing committee.' Solani said they were unhappy with Biyela calling a meeting to address workers without Samwu, in which he bashed the union. Biyela has been at odds with some officials in the directorate who have previously accused him of threatening their lives when he said in a meeting that 'lives will be shed'. On the other hand, Biyela opened a case with the police in July after receiving an anonymous phone call from a stranger who said 'You won't see the sun rise tomorrow'. Working relations between Biyela and staff have created unfavourable conditions for all parties involved. Biyela did not respond to a request for comment. Electricity and energy political head Ziyanda Mnqokoyi said, based on information they had received, the only concern raised with Biyela was that staff did not want him in the post. 'The Eskom issue is new to me. 'However, if this concern was raised by the workers regarding the involvement of Eskom in certain technical operations, it has been noted. 'It is important to clarify that the municipality, like many others across the country, occasionally engages with Eskom or other entities when specialised or high-risk technical assistance is required, particularly in instances where the stability of the local grid or resident safety may be at stake. 'This is not a reflection on the competency of our internal teams but rather a strategic step to augment capacity and ensure service continuity.' Regarding allegations about Biyela's management style, Mnqokoyi said they would be investigated through the proper channels. 'I will work closely with the city manager and labour representatives to restore calm, address underlying concerns and ensure that the interests of the residents remain the top priority.' When the reporter arrived at Munelek, one of the workers who spoke at the gathering said Biyela made their work harder and would confront subordinates over office gossip. 'Biyela is entertaining gossip and threatening to suspend people,' the worker said. 'He has a bullying kind of leadership style. 'His appointment as acting executive director with only five months in the metro was a huge disaster. 'He comes from a small local municipality in Knysna and has no experience of running a metro department. 'To add to that, he doesn't have experience and is not mature.' A second worker said Biyela, by bringing Eskom in, was saying they could not do their jobs. 'Many of our colleagues are on leave because they can't deal with his leadership style of threatening people. 'We can't continue like this. 'He must go and we will continue doing our jobs as we have been all along.' Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya condemned Biyela's removal. He said such conduct undermined the law, workplace discipline and institutional processes to resolve disputes. 'We can confirm that an unlawful incident involving the forceful removal of Biyela occurred this morning,' Soyaya said. 'This is being investigated and dealt with through the appropriate legal and disciplinary channels. 'Security and legal measures are being put in place to ensure Biyela's safety and to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. 'Leadership appointments follow formal governance processes and decisions cannot be made through unlawful or coercive means. 'Biyela's acting contract remains valid until further notice or formal review by the city manager, who has the delegated authority in this regard.'
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Eskom faces R1 billion damages for cancelling steam generator contract
Nicola Mawson | Published 1 week ago Eskom has been ordered to pay nearly R1 billion to French nuclear contractor Framatome after the Western Cape High Court ruled that the utility refused to pay damages for cancelling a contract to install steam generators at Koeberg nuclear power station. This ruling stems from a 2014 agreement originally made with Areva, which was later ceded to Framatome, covering the design, manufacture, and installation of six replacement steam generators—three for each unit at Koeberg. Framatome, which has been in operation for 60 years, was contracted to supply and install two sets of three replacement steam generators, one set to be installed in each of the reactor buildings at units 1 and 2 at Koeberg during separate planned outages of these units. These installations were meant to take place during a scheduled maintenance outage, which kept getting postponed. Two months after the outage was finally scheduled to happen, 'Eskom informed Framatome that it would not be continuing with the steam generator replacement,' the judgement said. As a result of the cancellation of the deal, Eskom's project manager 'acknowledged that Eskom's decision to postpone the work constituted a compensation event,' the judgment read. Although the project manager had acknowledged that Eskom's cancellation triggered compensation, he determined that the value of compensation was nil. The entire matter then went to arbitration, where the adjudicator ordered that Eskom must pay compensation for cancelling the contract, including for storing equipment, as well as implementation activities, which work had been wasted by Eskom delaying the date of the planned maintenance outage. After some back and forth between the parties and the adjudicator, during which the parties didn't agree on costs, 'Eskom made it clear that it had no intention of providing the adjudicator with any further information or participating any further in the adjudication process,' the ruling read. As a result, the adjudicator issued a determination of the damages amount, and Eskom decided to take the issue to the Western Cape High Court, arguing that the amount in damages was not determined by the date it was due – voiding his determination. In defending Eskom's legal action, Framatome argued that none of the arbitration proceedings were improper, nor was the adjudicator abusing his power. The Judge ruled that 'there is no basis to set aside the decisions of the adjudicator which are valid and binding. In terms of the parties' contract Eskom was obliged to comply therewith.' Eskom, it found, had to comply with its contractual obligations. The court found that Framatome was entitled to the full amount it sought. In addition to the R1bn payment, Eskom had to pay interest and costs. Cape Argus
