Riaan 
Indawo yokuphehla ugesi iKusile eMpumalanga.
UNgqongqoshe Wezamahlathi, Izinhlanzi kanye Nezemvelo, u-Barbara Creecy, uvumele u-Eskom ukuba aqale inqubo yokugunyaza esheshayo ukweqa imingcele ekhishwa yi-sulphur dioxide esiteshini samandla kagesi iKusile emzamweni wokunciphisa inkinga enkulu kagesi eNingizimu Afrika.
Ngokuya ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile eziqinile, uCreecy ngoLwesibili ukhiphe u-Eskom ohlelweni olude oludingekayo lokuchibiyela Ilayisense yabo Ye-Atmospheric Emission ukuze kubonakale ukukhishwa okwengeziwe okuvela eKusile.
U-Eskom unikezwe ukukhululwa – ngokweSigaba 59 soMthetho Wokuphathwa Kwemvelo Kazwelonke: Umthetho Wekhwalithi Yomoya – mayelana nesixazululo sesikhashana sokubuyisela ukukhiqizwa okulahlekile eKusile kuyilapho isitaki esonakele sisalungiswa okulindeleke ukuba siphothulwe ngoDisemba 2024.
Okwamanje, u-Eskom uhlela ukwakha izitaki zesikhashana ngoNovemba 2023, ezizosebenza ngaphandle kokusebenzisa i-Flue Gas Desulphurisation izinyanga eziyi-13.
Lokhu cishe kuzoholela ekwandeni kokukhishwa kwe-sulphur dioxide phakathi nalesi sikhathi, ngaphezu komkhawulo wamanje osebenzayo weLayisense Yokungcolisa Umkhathi yaseKusile.
Isixazululo sesikhashana sizovumela ukuthi kuqalwe kabusha amandla okuphehla angu-2 100MW, okuzonciphisa ukuchayeka kwezwe ekucimeni kukagesi ngamazinga amabili, kuphawula uCreecy.
UCreecy uthe uyayazi imithelela ebhalwe phansi yenhlalonhle yezomnotho yokucishwa kukagesi, okube nemiphumela efinyelela kude kwezenhlalo nezomnotho kubo bonke abantu baseNingizimu Afrika.
“Ngiyazi ngendlela efanayo impilo kanye nemithelela ehambisanayo yokuchayeka kwesimo se-sulphur dioxide, ikakhulukazi emiphakathini eseduze neziteshi eziphehla ugesi ngamalahle,” kusho ungqongqoshe. “Ngenxa yezinto eziqhudelanayo, ngibizwe ukuthi ngenze isinqumo esinzima ngendlela exakile.
Ngokuvumelana nalokho, ukukhululwa kuvunyelwe ngaphansi kwemibandela embalwa.
U-Eskom kufanele akhiphe isaziso somphakathi emaphephandabeni amabili kazwelonke echaza izizathu zesicelo sabo, futhi kufanele futhi enze inqubo yokubamba iqhaza komphakathi ngaphansi kokuncishiswa kwesikhathi esiyizinsuku eziyi-14.
Inhlangano kuzomele futhi iphendule ku-Creecy kanye nekomidi lephalamende lezamahlathi, ezokudoba kanye nemvelo mayelana nenqubekelaphambili yokulungisa inqwaba eyonakele.
U-Eskom kufanele futhi athathe izinyathelo zokunciphisa ukuchayeka kwabasebenzi bakhe kanye nemiphakathi ezungezile engozini. Okungenani, lokhu kufanele kubandakanye ukuhlolwa kwezempilo okuzimele kanye nokudluliselwa ezikhungweni zezempilo zikahulumeni ezifanele ukuze bathole ukwelashwa lapho kudingeka khona.
Umnyango kaCreecy uthe u-Eskom manje uzodinga ukufaka isicelo ku-National Air Quality Officer ukuze kuhlehliswe kanye nezikhathi ezibekiwe zokuthotshelwa kwamazinga amancane okukhipha umoya ezimbonini ezintsha. Ukuhlehliswa kanye kanye nezikhathi ezimisiwe zokuthobela izindinganiso ezincane zokukhishwa kwezitshalo ezintsha kungasebenza kuphela kuze kube umhla zingama-31 kuNdasa wezi-2025, ngokwemithethonqubo esebenzayo.
*Le ndatshana ilungisiwe ukuze ibonise ukuthi iKusile yakwa-Eskom ayizange ivunyelwe ukweqa umkhawulo wezinto ezingcolisa umoya kodwa ivunyelwe ukuthi iqale inqubo yokugunyaza esheshayo. INews24 iyaxolisa ngaleli phutha.
