The hon member who is speaking is not a member of the ID. She is a member of the DA. [Interjections.]
The ANC supports Budget Vote No 29 of the Energy Department. The Integrated Energy Centre Programme was introduced in 2002 to contribute to the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme. It is considered an appropriate mechanism to deliver affordable energy to mostly low-income communities in remote areas and to be a one-stop shop offering energy goods. The ANC applauds PetroSA for launching the latest integrated energy centre, IEC, in Mbizana in the Eastern Cape in November 2012.
Umntu xa enze into entle mncome. [Commend a person when he or she has performed very well.]
It will be a source of petrol, diesel, paraffin and LPG gas to the community and it will employ about 15 people, or more. In the words of our Energy Minister, the hon Dipuo Peters:
IECs are not just about the integration of energy services. Rather, they are primarily about integration and co-operation among the three tiers and structures of government for improved delivery of energy services to the poorest of the poor.
Rural development and rural communities are dear to my heart, so it is also heartening when we consider another IEC launched in 2011 by the petrochemicals firm Sasol and the South African government. The R8 million integrated energy centre in the rural Eastern Cape town of Qunu was launched in January 2011 to assist with poverty alleviation and the community's energy needs. In addition, however, the centre also offers services such as a library, information centre and a community room for the use of the community.
The integrated energy centre also has a village vendor network of people, and these are mainly women and youngsters. People can purchase energy products from these vendors, who come to them. You know, when one empowers a woman, one empowers a nation. That is true, because those women make use of those vendors. They do not have to travel long distances because the centres are right in their communities.
We need interventions like this to assist the rural communities we care about. They assist the women and children, who need to be protected in our communities. They assist with giving access to the warmth that they so desperately need in winter and putting that hot meal on the table. We applaud the hon Minister for taking the lead in addressing the needs of the poor rural communities. We applaud the hon Minister for the programmes on youth, women, and people with disabilities. However, we also ask the hon Minister to do more, especially for the people living with disabilities. The programmes that currently are running in her department must address these needs.
Further, there is an accelerated development programme in PetroSA, in which 30 out of 91 employees in the Leadership Development Programme are women. The study assistance and bursary programmes also aim to ensure sufficient female representation. The company numbers on gender equity are of the order of 50%. With regard to people with disabilities, PetroSA has taken the approach of identifying students living with disabilities to participate in programmes and make progress through the ranks.
The SA Nuclear Energy Corporation, Necsa, is also finding ways to bring in young talent by partnering with various institutions. Further, the Nuclear Skills Development Centre aims to train 218 apprentices at its facilities. Members acknowledge and thank the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, Nersa, for the Techno Girl programme and its success in Limpopo. We encourage them to keep up the good work, especially in rural areas.
There is also the SA National Energy Development Institute, Sanedi, with its idea of including e-learning in its smart grid technology. The idea of using tablet computers to control the smart grid and independently making this available to our learners is the kind of effort needed to help to develop communities that are lacking these resources.
Moving to public participation for energy-related issues, it is crucial that communities be given a hearing on issues that affect them and, more importantly, have their input considered in the deliberations. In this regard, for example, Nersa's handling of Eskom's Multi-Year Price Determination, where public hearings were held around the country, is commendable. Communities need to be heard, and I am sure Nersa has learned a few lessons and will keep these in mind going forward, but it is commendable. I also attended one in Cape Town, where "abahlali" [communities] were voicing their concerns at the 16% increase in electricity tariffs. Nersa listened to that.
We are also awaiting the department on regulations that will facilitate the formation of consumer forums by municipalities. We are aware that the director-general, Nelisiwe Magubane, instructed her team to ensure that the regulations are finalised, but we are watching Ms Magubane.
Research into alternative energy sources needs to be enhanced. Ethanol gel is one such alternative fuel which is safe for use in rural homes, rather than paraffin. Research into development of such fuels, which could be safer and cleaner than paraffin, needs to continue. Further, the issue of biodigesters is also important, as it is a possible mechanism of converting biomass into energy for use by communities and even in rural schools. Continuous research is needed in these areas to assist rural communities to access alternative energy sources.
The distribution of solar-powered lights to rural schools in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape is an excellent example of how the hon Minister and her department are finding solutions to some of the energy problems of our country. Further, the Basa Njengo Magogo project has been rolled out in the Gauteng province. We are waiting for the other provinces. Only last weekend we lost a life here in Cape Town, in the Strand, because of a shack fire.
The ANC supports Budget Vote No 29. [Applause.]