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South Africa: Allies Still Undecided On Mbeki
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Cape Argus (Cape Town)
12 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
While the tripartite alliance chose at its weekend summit not to push for Thabo Mbeki's dismissal as the country's president, it has called for a review of all energy-intensive projects, including the controversial aluminium smelters.
"What we are saying is that we will have to look into, for example... this range of aluminium smelters that consume energy intensively. Is the benefit of having them here better than not having them?" ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said yesterday.
He warned, however, against taking "ad hoc" decisions about closing smelters, arguing that potential job losses and socio-economic conditions in the areas in which the plants stood needed to be taken into consideration.
The question of closing smelters has proved to be sensitive.
Earlier this year, BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified mining group, threatened to withdraw business of more than R1,2-billion a year from Standard Bank when one of the bank's executives suggested that the company's Richards Bay smelters be closed to save electricity.
The question of closing smelters is expected to be raised again at the energy summit beginning on Friday.
The alliance partners also "unanimously rejected" Es-kom's demand for a 53 percent tariff increase, on which the National Energy Regulator is expected to rule early next month.
"It was agreed that the energy summit should examine all aspects of the energy policy and not just electricity tariffs," Mantashe said.
Eskom has argued that it needs the increase to bankroll its R300-billion expansion and upgrade programme.
But critics think consumers are being unfairly made to foot the bill for the energy crisis, for which they blame incompetent management at Eskom and the government.
Mantashe said the meeting was aware of, but had not discussed, a Sunday newspaper report alleging that the ANC was gunning for Eskom's top brass, after an internal review accused them of mismanagement.
It is understood that Mbeki may appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations.
Mbeki also came under fire at the summit, when calls were made for him to be replaced as the country's president.
Itis understood that Tokyo Sexwale, a member of the ANC National Executive Committee, expressed his concern about an unworkable transition in which Mbeki remained state president after losing the ruling party's top office to Jacob Zuma in Polokwane.
It is understood former Limpopo premier Ngoako Ramatlhodi urged the summit to deal with Mbeki for having made too many mistakes.
Mantashe said that the summit had "not decided" on the motion.
Blade Nzimande, general secretary of the SACP, added: "It was raised only as an optional consideration by the SACP, but it is not a matter that has been decided by the summit."
Mantashe said the summit had opted not to blame anyone for the problems facing the country, but to address them. The alliance and the government would meet to discuss possible solutions.
Two more summits - a broad summit of all allies of the movement, and another on governance, intended only for the alliance and the government - are planned for later this year.
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The summit also directed all leaders to "attend urgently" to the cross-border crises in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, Moutse in Mpumalanga, and Khutsong in North West, where people have protested strenuously against the government's decisions to transfer the administration of the towns to other provinces.
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