Umkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) National Organiser, Floyd Shivambu, has accused the European Union (EU) of harbouring “neo-colonial aspirations” following the organisation’s commitment to support South Africa’s green hydrogen initiatives.
Shivambu was responding to the Minister of Energy and Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, on Monday, after they announced that South Africa would be receiving grant funding from the EU.
The EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, at a meeting with the two ministers, confirmed that South Africa is expected to receive some R628 million grant funding, in support of its green hydrogen value chan.
Simson explained that the first portion of the EU grant is close to R100 million. It will be used in the implementation of the strategy for Transnet. The other grant of almost half a billion Rand will go to the development and construction of infrastructure in the South African green hydrogen value chain.
ALSO READ: The rush towards Renewables poised to cripple Africa.
Taking to his X social media platform, Shivambu said: “Africa’s colonial and post colonial era has beyond doubt proven that every relationship Europeans have with African countries is neo-colonial in nature, character & form. There’s absolutely no way that this hydrogen support by the EU is devoid of neo-colonial aspirations and intent.”
Minister Ramokgopa said the government is determined to take advantage of the opportunities in green hydrogen.
“We think that green hydrogen provides some of the best opportunities for the country to reindustrialise given the fact that we are sitting on significant mineral endowments in our country, our ability to beneficiate locally and our ability to access more lucrative markets – the European Union being one of those markets.”
Minister Tau also added that the grants will assist South Africa to achieve its net zero targets, pointing out that “there’s the opportunity of greening significant parts of our value chain and therefore decarbonising in certain industries and regions.
READ MORE: SA, Germany commit to establishing Hydrogen Task Force.
