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- Black South Africans now hold 38.1% equity in awarded projects, with 8.8% held by local communities; and<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has defended the award of four large battery storage projects to Mulilo Energy, chaired by former Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The projects were awarded under the government\u2019s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPPP) programme, and the latest bid window for battery storage systems (BESS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mulilo Energy, chaired by Oberholzer, was awarded four out of five BESS projects, representing a combined investment of R7 billion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The outcome sparked backlash from labour unions, political parties, and business groups, which raised concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) described the decision as a direct and undeniable conflict of interest, bordering on white-collar corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NUM criticised Oberholzer\u2019s previous advocacy for the REIPPPP while at Eskom, and questioned the ethics of his appointment as chair of a company that now benefits from the same programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe optics are troubling,\u201d said the union. \u201cThis creates an unacceptable ethical dilemma and raises serious questions about the integrity of the procurement process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further criticism came from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the Black Business Council (BBC), which demanded full transparency around the tender process that led to the BESS awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response, Ramokgopa\u2019s department said the process had undergone rigorous legal, technical, and financial due diligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister also said the procurement was fully compliant with the Constitution and aligned with goals to promote inclusive growth, particularly for historically marginalised communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While acknowledging concerns about the concentration of contracts in one company\u2019s hands, Ramokgopa argued that competitiveness should not be punished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe must avoid a situation where excellence is penalised,\u201d he said, adding that the priority is ensuring energy security and grid stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramokgopa stressed the importance of the BESS programme in modernising the national grid, making it more efficient and enabling greater integration of renewable energy from solar and wind sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also highlighted the broader success of the REIPPPP initiative, noting that 10 bid windows have been concluded since the IPP Office was established. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese have collectively attracted at least R292 billion in infrastructure investment,\u201d he said. The minister also pointed to significant transformation milestones within the programme:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
R112 billion has been spent on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), representing 74% of total procurement;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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