Welcome address by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa at the Energy Summit

Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Welcome to Gauteng. Let me at the outset thank the organisers of the conference for choosing to host this important summit in our province. The province by its very nature has to take a very keen interest in matters of sustainable energy supply.

As a province regarded as South Africa's economic powerhouse and a province that contributes a third to the country gross domestic product, we understand the importance of sustainable energy supply to economic growth and social development.

We also understand our strategic role in helping South Africa to achieve its goals of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014. We have accepted that in order for us to help the country achieve this goal we have to grow the economy of Gauteng by eight percent. Achieving this level of economic growth requires that we pay close attention to the energy requirements in Gauteng now and in the future.

Gauteng has seen unprecedented and sustained economic growth since the mid-1990s, reaching a growth rate of 5,8% in 2005. This growth attracts people and the total number of households increased by 17% from 2 475 million in 2002 to 2 983 million in 2005 as a result of population growth and in-migration of people from other parts of the country and the continent.

Increased economic activity and population growths create demand for energy supply and efficiency is required to meet this demand on a sustainable basis. Our efforts to position Gauteng as a globally competitive city region require that we pay particular attention on energy.

As a government of Gauteng we believe that there is a need for us and the national government to investigate a common approach to energy efficiency, the sustainable use of non-renewable energy sources, alternative energy sources and carbon credits.

This summit is therefore critical in developing that common approach that should guide all us as we try to find solutions to the challenges of sustainable energy provision.

In a densely populated urban centre such as Gauteng, the environment also assumes particular significance. The approaches that we propose should help us to ensure that we achieve environmental sustainability in the medium and long term.

We welcome you in Gauteng; we wish you well in your deliberations and look forward to the recommendation of your summit.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
25 September 2007
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government