Dear Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, & all concerned.

My name is Yaaseen Omar and I am aware of the Paris agreement in 2015 as I have followed activist globally such as Greta Thunberg who have shown the affects of Climate change & how people are displaced due to pollution.

I have also followed up on the richest person in the world who was born here in SA and is a genius, Elon musk. He has said last week in an interview that countries should not shut down existing nuclear power plants as they would cost the least to continue use & plants that can be made in countries where there are low chances of natural disasters should be made.

He is the worlds largest producer of EVs and at the forefront of rockets going into space as well as in developing tunnels that reduce traffic. In terms of industrialisation and using artificial intelligence he is also leading as most of the factories use robots which are programed to manufacture.

I mention all this because if South Africa is to ever be able to use any of these amazing products such as electric vehicles that drive themselves while people are at work and robots that can produce our traditional clothing rapidly so we can increase our exports and cause the rand to become strong we need to first have cheap and plenty electricity to run all these technologies.

America has allowed for people to have tax free solar panels etc and encourages citizens to make renewable energy. In south africa it has only recently become available for public to provide one megawatt of energy and I have consulted with various providers whom so many are unaware and always shut down the idea of creating a suburb off solar power so we can give back to the people.

There are many factors which I am aware of such as Eskom & its debt and how the legislation and laws curb people and keep certain monopolies in power but it is time for South Africa to stand for something or else we will fall for anything, and at this time when the world is at the brink of war, media no longer reveals truths because journalists are sponsored to study by firms who employ them to write articles that never show their companies in a bad light and corruption is at an all time high almost everywhere,we need to have systems like blockchain in government levels so that all transactions cannot be undone by one party and transparency and truth is at the top so that all levels underneath can have the effect of just leadership.

I have no money to change the country and nor am I suffering in poverty like so many of my fellow brothers and sisters in south africa but as a concerned citizen I ask that careful consideration be made when it comes to enforcing laws which will cripple the country.

We are made to buy chinas goods because we cannot produce our own but we don't have money for machines to become industrialized enough to provide our people and exports.

We are made to sell our natural resources from the time of the golden boom in JHB right till now when we are listed as number one producer of so many natural resources.

We are behaving like the countries which are on the equator and cocoa only grows there yet all is sold and bars of chocolate are bought from other countries to stock its shelves. We need to put our people first.

The U.S and china among other countries like the U. K are deeply interested in africa and yet we provide but are unable to give our people sufficient housing. Population statistics fell in parts of the world since covid and yet we have always encouraged less children to be produced but civilization faces great chances of extinction in this regard and that is what Elon musk said himself as a worry too.

We have legalized drinking, prostitution and gambling and the focus of our people and emotions are not kept in check. Time to report crimes take too long so victims simply do not bother. We have so many problems as a civilization but we are made to believe we need wants to survive rather than needs.

What we need is water, food and shelter
Basic clothing and good security measures & waste to be taken care of in a good way.

What we want is electricity to be made available cheaply, to use our coal plants and our natural resources for our country and to use the money given to build green sustainable solar, wind and water facilities. We want to continue to use our nuclear plant in Capetown & increase our industrial capacity in sectors that do not have any so that we can increase our exports and we want to keep good relationships with other world leaders. We want to use EVs and robotics and we want laptops and cellphones and telecommunications and to be able to have houses built by robots that cost way less. We have a lot of wants but limited needs and resources so as a concerned citizen, please make a decision that does not make our life harder than it is already.

I ask you to use our money for us & their money for what they asked us to at COP26, Thank you.