New Cape Town mayor and his team prepare to pursue city's battle with Eskom

摘要

The South African metropolitan municipality, which is controlled by the Democratic Alliance party, isstriving hard to free itself from its dependence on public sector electricity utility Eskom. Twomembers of the newly elected mayor's team look set to play a particular role in the ongoing battle. Geordin Hill-Lewis, who was elected mayor of Cape Townon 18 November, announced on 22 November the namesof the councillors who would serve on his mayoralcommittee. The 34-year-old, who belongs to the leadingnational opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA),has decided to put the high voltage energy portfolio inthe hands of Beverley van Reenen. The energy question,which he referred to in the first minutes of the speech hemade on 22 November, is a key one in South Africa.Public sector electricity company Eskom, which has amonopoly over the energy sector, is increasingly underfire because of its inability to put an end to the regularpower cuts which have plagued the country for manyyears.