Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The Democratic Alliance notes with the extreme concern that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy yet again received a qualified audit with findings. The truth actually emerges however when one examines the departmental performance metrics. Although the department spent 99% of its allocated budget, it achieved only 32% of its objectives.
In the midst of this dark and disturbing report there are however few entities that need to be singled out as lone shining lights in what is supposed to be the department that keeps our country energised. The National Energy Regulatory of South Africa has obtained their sixth consecutive clean audit. The National Radio Active Waste Disposal Institute also received an unqualified audit opinion.
It however appears that these entities are the exception and not the rule and they have succeeded in spite of the department and not because of it. The National Solar Water Heater Project run directly by the department has missed every single target that it set for itself. It is now stalled completely with the water heater sitting in storage wrecking up huge amounts of wasteful and fruitless expenditure. In addition to its own internal challenges, the department is failing dismally with regards to its governance of the various entities it oversees.
The biggest challenge is at the central energy fund and its subsidiaries; PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel fund which is little more than a bottomless pit of expenditure with no clear strategy or plan of action to resolve the liquidity crisis and operational sustainability. PetroSA is bankrupt and [Inaudible.] all likelihood run out of feed stock for its Mossel Bay refinery next year. However, the nuclear ... [Time expired.] The Democratic Alliance does not support this vote.