Minister of Public Enterprises, Ms Lynne Brown,
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Willies Mchunu,
Executive Mayor of uThukela District Municipality, Councillor Dudu Mazibuko
Mayors of the Local Municipalities of eMnambithi–Ladysmith, Maluti-a-Phofung and Phumelela,
Traditional Leaders,
ESKOM Chairperson, Dr Baldwin Ngubane, Group CEO Mr Brian Molefe and all Executives,

Umphakathi wonke,

Today, as South Africans, we stand tall and proud as we register further progress in our quest for energy security.

This time last year, the country was faced by serious energy shortages. Our people were frustrated by load shedding and the future looked bleak.

We set out to change the situation, and we are making tremendous progress.

Today we have come together to launch Ingula Power Station Unit 4, a pumped storage scheme and a new national project in ESKOM’s power fleet.

Eskom has been forging ahead to ensure improved maintenance and also to fast-track the building of infrastructure that will give us much-needed energy security.

By 2021, ESKOM’s new build programme will add close to nine thousand megawatts of new capacity to power South Africa’s economic growth and development.

The Ingula Units 1, 2 and 3 were synchronized ahead of schedule. Unit 3 on 3 March 2016, Unit 2 on 21 May 2016 and Unit 1 on 16 June 2016.

The Ingula Unit 4 has been commissioned in winter, which contributed to the stability of the system and no load shedding being implemented. 

The construction of Ingula started in 2005, eleven years into our democracy, in this scenic area of the Lower Drakensberg.

On completion, the power station will feed more than thousand three hundred megawatts to South Africa’s power system. This will bring electricity power and a new quality of life to approximately five hundred thousand homes which is similar to powering a municipality the size of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan city. 

The Ingula Power Pump Storage Scheme by ESKOM has injected about far more than three point five billion rands into local economies of Phumelela Local Municipality and Maluti-a-Phufong Local Municipality in the Free State; and Alfred Duma District Local Municipality and uThukela District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
 
It has created thousands of jobs with 55 per cent of the total Ingula labour force being recruited from local communities and municipalities in KwaZulu Natal and Free State provinces.

It is also very important to us that the Ingula Power Pump Storage Scheme is moving South Africa a step closer to the ANC government’s dream of extending electricity to all South African households.

Access to electricity improves the quality of life of our people. We will never rest until all our people have access to water and electricity, no matter how long it takes.

We are also happy that this Ingula project has enriched members of the community through ESKOM’s corporate social investment programme that was developed to alleviate poverty and build strong relationships with local communities.
 
One thousand hectares of land have been donated to resettled families. In the past six years, more than two thousand learners have benefited from various educational initiatives such as a computer lab and school-going children in the area now have seventeen new classrooms to be educated in.

Ingula also represents a legacy for democratic South Africa and it takes us a step closer to fulfilling our economic goals.

The project supports the economic growth and development of the country. it improves the energy capacity and infrastructure development.

It ensures the security of electricity supply.

It helps to diversify our energy mix and to accelerate universal access to electricity for households.

It also continues to inspire investor confidence, which will ultimately result in a more prosperous economic and social well-being for all citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We would like to honour through this launch, those who have lost their lives while contributing to the building of Ingula.

We remember and pay tribute to Nathaniel Kgadi, Ernest Khumalo, Tumelo Tshehla, Thulani Dlungwane, Andrias Ntombela, Benzile Mlotshwa, Majara Lesaoana, Daniel Mthiyane, Sinethemba Ndzoyiya, Federico Caasi, Dennis Casale and Maurice Antonio. May their souls rest in peace.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It now gives me great pleasure to declare Ingula Power Station Unit 4 officially open for business, as part of Eskom’s power fleet.

I thank you.
 

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria