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Tomorrow [Wednesday 13 November 2019] Parliament must protect South Africa’s investment prospects and sustainable energy planning by rejecting the disastrous Inga 3 hydropower mega-project.

A joint meeting of the Portfolio Committees on Mineral Resources and Energy together with the Public Enterprises will be briefed on the Eskom special paper and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which Inga 3 currently forms a part of.

Amongst the questions that need to be answered is whether any portion of Eskom’s budget now or in the future is earmarked for Inga 3, planned for construction at the Congo River, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Any expenditure on the tainted Inga 3 hydropower megaproject in the face of Eskom’s mammoth R450 billion debt must be justified.

The transmission line alone, requiring complex cross-border infrastructure and security, will come at an additional annual cost to South African consumers of an estimated R4.3 billion. On top of that, this imported power will cost South Africa R400 million more than domestic power generation would per year. This is certainly not in line with the least-cost scenario mandate for South Africa’s energy planning future.

Last week, Parliament heard that the project’s viability has been further compromised by a conflict between the Chinese and Spanish consortia slated to construct the hydropower dam. The practical effect will be further delays; the estimated delivery date has already been pushed out twice, from 2021 to 2025 and now 2030 – if it comes online at all. But these delays will only fuel cost overruns, increasing South Africa’s bill.

The human impact in the DRC appears to have been ignored, too. With no consultation or consideration, up to 30 000 Congolese people face involuntary displacement due to construction, with no guarantee when or if their communities, homes and livelihoods will be resettled

Yet - unfathomably - South Africa persists with its support for this unconscionable project.

By continuing to dabble in clearly suboptimal ventures like Inga 3, South Africa will jeopardize the R663 billion in investment commitments secured by President Ramaphosa as part of his investment drive.

South Africa simply cannot afford the uncertainty that Inga 3 introduces into the country’s already fragile energy mix. Parliament must reject Inga 3 from energy plans with vigour if we are going to plug the money pit that is Inga 3 and turn this country’s economy around.

Issued by International Rivers