Pretoria - While a group of lawyers has issued a letter of demand to Eskom over the load shedding crisis, the electricity giant is also facing legal action from AfriForum, which has requested information from Eskom regarding the utility’s controversial contracts.
AfriForum served an application on Eskom in July last year in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
The PAIA application demanded information on active contracts that Eskom has with various service providers, including coal suppliers and transport companies.
Eskom responded to this application, but key information was redacted and withheld from AfriForum, the organisation said.
It filed an internal appeal in September and pointed out that Eskom did not provide an adequate explanation of why the information was withheld.
Therefore, AfriForum argued that Eskom did not comply with the act. Eskom, however, did not respond to the internal appeal, forcing AfriForum to take legal action to obtain a court order obliging Eskom to release the required information.
“Eskom’s failure is causing incalculable damage to the country. That is why AfriForum is fighting in court for transparency so that the information about Eskom’s contracts is made public.
“If AfriForum succeeds with the application and any irregularities are found, action will be taken against Eskom in the strictest possible way,” said Reiner Duvenage, campaign officer for strategy and content.
Of the information demanded by AfriForum are copies of all active contracts Eskom or any of its subsidiaries have concluded to purchase coal and diesel, including the transportation and distribution of the coal and diesel.
AfriForum also wants a list of all independent power producers that are currently feeding electricity into the national grid, as well as a list of countries receiving power from Eskom.
Monique Taute of AfriForum said in an affidavit filed in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that in light of the electricity crisis in South Africa and the escalating costs of power, South Africans have the right to know at what price Eskom is selling electricity to neighbouring countries.
Pretoria News