Environmentalists hail decision to handover info on Karpowership licenses

Environmental justice organisation Green Connection has been given access to critical information regarding the Karpowership deals following a successful court order.

The interlocutory application was one part of a two-part court action against Nersa’s decision to grant three electricity generation licences to the Karpowership SA companies to operate powerships in the ports of Saldanha, Ngqura (Coega) and Richards Bay.

According to Green Connection, while government opposed the challenge to make the information public, the three Karpowerships companies withdrew their opposition and will abide by the court’s decision.

In the court order, Nersa agreed to make available a complete, unredacted record of an annexure document and any documents that the respondents claimed to be confidential.

The documents should be made available within 10 days after the order was made on June 4.

Green Connection’s strategic lead, Liziwe McDaid, said that they were vindicated by the court outcome and their bid for good governance.

“We are quite happy because as we came into court, we found out that Nersa had basically given up.

We now have a settlement to access the information we needed. Once we have this, what we believe to be crucial information, then we will be able to prepare for the next stage of the court review. This is a good day. The Green Connection and those who have continued to support our cause – especially the smallscale fishers who are fighting to defend their livelihoods –have been vindicated in our striving for good governance.

“Since the start, the Karpowerships deals were mired in controversy, characterised by such irregularities. This court case essentially aims to force Nersa to share more details regarding the Karpowerships deals, which we need to support our larger challenge, and which the Regulator refuses to make available. For instance, we need costing information to better understand how the price of electricity could be affected if supplied by these floating kettles,” said McDaid.

Attempts to get comment from DMRE and Karpowership were unsuccessful by deadline on Thursday.

The Green Connection’s Legal and Outreach Advisor Priyanka Naidoo said: “South Africans need transparency about such projects, so that we can fully understand the consequences of decisions that could affect our lives and livelihoods, especially when it affects communities who continue to be marginalised.”

Cape Town