OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH

An open letter from 30 civil society organisations to South African ministers demanding that Eskom comply with environmental and health laws, cease its opposition to renewable energy, and provide transparency regarding the decommissioning of ageing coal-fired power stations.

• The signatories challenge claims by Eskom CEO Brian Molefe that renewable energy is a disappointment, citing research from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) which indicates that wind and solar generation is technically feasible and the lowest-cost option for South Africa.
• The letter highlights the economic benefits of the renewable energy IPP procurement programme (REIPPPP), stating it has stimulated nearly R200 billion in private investment and created approximately 25,000 jobs.
• The authors express concern over Eskom's preference to "renew" rather than decommission ageing coal-fired power stations from the 1960s and 1970s, arguing this contradicts South Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement to transition to a low-carbon energy sector.
• The signatories allege that Eskom is failing to comply with air quality standards and has resisted releasing critical documents, including compliance plans and decommissioning schedules, despite a request made under the Promotion of Access to Information Act four months prior to the letter.
• The letter urges the government to treat the target of adding 17,800 MW of renewable energy by 2030 as a minimum objective and to remove barriers to small-scale, community-based renewable energy investments.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2016). OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Final-NGO-open-letter-to-Ministers-on-Eskom_6-Sept-2016_with-additions.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH. 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Final-NGO-open-letter-to-Ministers-on-Eskom_6-Sept-2016_with-additions.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH |date=6 September 2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Final-NGO-open-letter-to-Ministers-on-Eskom_6-Sept-2016_with-additions.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2016open, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Final-NGO-open-letter-to-Ministers-on-Eskom_6-Sept-2016_with-additions.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }