The Congress of the People has called for South Africa to invest more in alternative Energy saying South Africans should not be made to bear the brunt of the mistakes made by the ruling ANC.  “This country is blessed with on average more sunlight than any country in the world and in the west of South Africa seasonal prevailing winds. The raw materials are there to build this country into an alternative, green, renewable energy superpower, but the profiteering and narrow interests of the elite with ties to the ruling party take precedence over the plight of 46 million people,” COPE said in an article published in its new online publication, Lentswe la Setjhaba – The Voice of the Nation.  In a reference to the pending Eskom tariff increase, the party has vowed to be at the forefront of objection and protest on all fronts to this unreasonable and unjustifiable price hike. The campaign for Clean, Affordable and Sustainable Energy (CASE), a multi party initiative spearheaded by COPE will be launched this year. 

“There are a number of concrete proposals that will be made to ensure that consumers are not left to the mercy of Eskom,” the party said. 

In his first article on the online publication, COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota remembers the freedom that resulted in the1994 democratic election and democracy in South Africa. 

“When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, heralding the birth of democracy in South Africa, there was hope that finally a better future for all South Africans was just on the horizon. Sadly, we are still chasing the end of the rainbow. South Africans who at the time were not yet born are now well into adulthood, and the yoke of inequality will soon be passed onto their youthful shoulders,” said Lekota. 

He said COPE can, and will work to transform or change the circumstances, so that the youth inherit a better future. We see the 2011 municipal elections as an opportunity to strike the first blows for change and hope in South Africa and we are working tirelessly towards the vision of a government for all the people of this beautiful country. 

Elaborating on the proposed renewable energy campaign, Lekota said COPE is undertaking the push for renewable energy adding that South Africans should not have to bear the brunt of the mistakes made by the ruling party, and “we will fight against using ordinary citizens to fill the coffers of a ruling party who have no regard for the plight of ordinary citizens”. 

He said COPE will be launching the campaign for Clean, Affordable, Sustainable Energy (CASE) with the backing of other parties. 

“This is our land, our rural and urban centres. We are duty bound to work to change them for the better for the sake of future generations. We shall struggle and we shall be vigilant in this task. The time is now to build South Africa. We will ensure that no section of the population is left behind as South Africa grows. We shall not issue empty promises. On the basis of truth and honesty shall we truly begin to tackle the backlogs that confront the people of this country,” said Lekota.