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5 September 2009 

Stellenbosch - Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has today (Friday, 5 September) closed a two-day workshop of the Energy Champions, held in Stellenbosch, confident that the champions are ready to mobilise all sectors of the South African society to respond to the national electricity emergency. This will be achieved through a dedicated public-private partnership to achieve specific short, medium to long-term results. This will culminate in building an energy saving consciousness of all South Africans.
 
"All of the Energy Champions' efforts will be directed towards bringing about a culture of energy savings in South Africa. Walking out from this workshop, we all understand the basic messages to all South Africans simply captured as: if you don't need it, don't use it, and if you must use it, then don't overuse it", said the Deputy President.
 
The champions were inaugurated in June this year following President Mbeki's announcement during the State of the Nation Address to appoint National Energy Champions in response to the national electricity and energy emergency.
 
The core to the work of the champions is to inform, educate and mobilise the entire societal spectrum towards the efficient and sustainable use of electricity and energy by amongst others:
 
* Popularising the Demand-Side Management or Energy Savings interventions aimed at the efficient use of electricity
* Communicating positive and open messages to South Africans to mitigate negative perceptions thus boosting the national mood.
* Highlighting the progress made and what people from all walks of life are achieving in Demand-Side Management
* Popularising the importance of reducing consumption
* Encouraging all consumers to use alternative energy sources, e.g. solar powered geysers, gas stoves etc.
* Helping to identify and overcome obstacles that the various communities / constituencies may face in reducing electricity usage and provide advise in finding sustainable solutions
 
The two-day workshop outlined specific short term targets. These include:
 
* Energy efficiency in government buildings and targets are now publicly known and progress is to be reported on 38 buildings to be retrofitted over six months and 56 in 2009/10 financial year utilising some of the R2 billion Rands allocated by government for DSM during the MTEF
* The energy champions will take part in media briefings on progress made once a month for a period of a year
* The energy champions will work with government in the enforcement campaign against electricity theft
* The energy champions are to engage in an immediate high visibility campaign of tips to save energy strategically targeted first at those that consume the most energy, e.g. LSM households 5-10, industrial customers, commercial customers, agricultural, tourism and others.
* The energy champions to join the 10 million CFL's distribution campaign that will be undertaken and installed with high visibility over the next six months)
* The energy champions will undertake a massive campaign on an efficient use of geysers, pipe insulation and solar water heating
*A programme to accelerate efficient traffic signal and street lighting will be undertaken
* The champions campaign will lead to the identification of critical skills development challenges in the energy sector such as engineers, technicians, valuers who will enhance an energy efficient society in a sustainable way.
* To energy champions at a national level to facilitate the mobilisation of energy champions at Provincial and local government over the next three months
* The energy champions will work with the Department of Education, Health as well as Sports and Recreation to visit and adopt schools, health facilities, sports facilities, and other public and private sector areas on which the EE campaign can be intensified locally, provincially and nationally.
* The energy champions will work with government to ensure that the entire value chain of generation, transmission and distribution is seamless, integrated and holistic in their response to the electricity emergency. They will work with government to ensure that maintenance of the distribution network is done with a view to reducing all the loses that are currently being experienced
* The energy champions will also enhance the environmental awareness with regard to the efficient use of energy including the use of appropriate technology particularly before, during and after the 2010 Soccer World Cup
* The energy champions will join the Cuban social workers (volunteers) and the Community Development Workers in the mobilisation of our communities in the implementation of the compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and other energy efficiency programmes
* The energy champions will also embark on a comprehensive programme for skills development especially in areas such as engineering, technicians, valuers, town planning. All these will happen with the context of energy efficiency campaign and the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).
* The energy champions will also work with the domestic sector, who have a representation among the energy champions, to spread the message both at their place of work as well as in their own homes.
* The energy champions will also mobilise children and elders into the EE campaign on an ongoing basis in schools and homesteads

Finally the Deputy President announced that this energy champion's workshop has set a target of 150 MW savings through the energy champion's campaign and activities in the next six months.
 
The energy champions taking part in the campaign include leaders from the public sector, sports fraternity, civil society business and labour
 
Issued by: The Presidency
5 September 2008