Community tells Eskom to go back to the drawing board to look at social illness solution before any further discussion on postponement of the minimum emissions standard compliance timeframes
Community Alerts/ Andries Mocheko/Limpopo/14 June 2017
Today’s public participation process for postponement of the minimum emissions standard compliance timeframes for SO2 Emissions, for postponement Eskom’s Medupi and Matimba-coal power station.
The meeting was supposed to start at 15:00- 19:00 Ditheku Primary School Marapong Township.
The meeting started little bit late because some delayed community members who didn’t have any info/clue about the meeting and some were not informed about this meeting, the delay was as a result of the explanation to those who don’t know and don’t have any clue what a public participation meeting and public consultation meeting is all about. What we told our community is that if you don’t know what the meeting all about please asks people who know and who have information and experience about this kind of meetings, before you sign the register because they can use that register against you.
Meeting started around 15:30-15:45, some of our community members are ignorant when you try to advise them they just sign hoping that they will get a job when signing a register before meeting. However we were surprise how Eskom consultants where do or conducted their public participation; breaking our communities in groups and tell them this is the easy way to make people to understand and able to rise questions freely so, without fear. For who? “Eskom”.
Organizations like LUF, WEJF and WWAO they tried to engage with the Eskom Environmental team and their Consultant to try to understand why are they use that method they using now, they started to ask us this; “tells us what to do guys cause we think that you can come with a better solution than’ as Organizations” response from them, while we try to work with them make this meeting successful
Unfortunately the meeting was disrupted by some of our community, telling Eskom that we don’t want postponement cause you increase poverty in our society, all you bring is sickness and death in our community. They told Eskom to go back to drawing board and discuss about how they can resolve issues like crime, prostitution, unemployment and skill development around Lephalale. Before they can come and talk about their postponement. By Andries Mocheko-Limpopop
