Deputy Speaker, the question before us is not if the failure of Eskom will be detrimental to our economy, we all know that. We all know that for us to excel and for this economy to grow, we need a stable power utility. But the question is: Will R59 billion of taxpayer's money prevents the collapse of Eskom? Will it prevent further load shedding?
The previous R83 billion since 2006 paid to Eskom in the form of bailouts did not. Why would this differ? Yes, the R59 billion now comes with conditions, but the R83 billion also did. The R83 billion was supposed to be used by Eskom only for the enhancement of electricity generation and capacity and security of supply, and not for operational expenses. What was it used for? It was used for operational expenses.
So, what will be different now? The last time that our utility paid dividends to government was in 2006, a mere R1,6 billion. Eskom has already failed hon Buthelezi. Who is responsible for the demise of Eskom? It's not the past. It's the ANC and the cadre deployment committee who appointed board members and executives to Eskom who allowed the utility to be looted, to be exploited whilst neglecting maintenance and good management, and whilst paying exuberant salaries to the executives.
It's the ANC government who allow this to happen. This bailout and the further exploitation of taxpayers will not solve the problems. The ANC government is not serious about solving the problems as they proved today, because members of the inter-ministerial committee whose task is to solve the issue regarding outstanding debt of municipalities to Eskom, did not even show up to the meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, SCOPA. Where were they? They are not serious.
It is now two years later, and nothing has been done. Now, we must give another billion of rands of taxpayer's money to Eskom. This will not solve the problems. Hon
members, the solution is to stop having yourselves kept ransom by your alliance partners. Ministers and even the President have stood at this podium and announced solutions.
But then they go back and Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu, and the SA Communist Party, SACP, tell them that they are not allowed to do that and now there is another Special Appropriation Bill. We need privatisation, we need unbundling of Eskom, but your alliance partners are preventing you from doing it.
So, hon Buthelezi, yes, you agree with Cosatu, but you agree with them because you have no other choice. You are being kept ransom and you are keeping the people of South Africa ransom. We need deregulation of electricity supply in South Africa. We need to deregulate and create competition for power utility so that private firms can also produce electricity and put it into the grid so that they there is competitive electricity supply in South Africa.
It is unacceptable that we are keeping and doing the same thing over and over again with no different solution. That is the definition of insanity. We do not support this Appropriation Bill. [Time expired.] [Applause.]