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Sleep more - Energy Minister
31/01/2008 08:26  - (SA)  

  • 'Consumers must save power'
  • 'Switch off your lights'
  • Solar power proves its worth
  • Parliament to meet over power
  • Cape Town - South Africans could save electricity by going to sleep earlier and boiling less water, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told Parliament on Wednesday.

    "Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer. Boil less water, use the microwave rather than stove, take a shower and not a shallow bath," she told a special sitting of Parliament to discuss the power crisis.

    She was unveiling a 10-point plan to encourage South Africans to change their electricity usage habits.

    Amid much heckling and jeering from some MPs, she criticised calls from "some quarters" to identify culprits and castigate them.

    "Crucify, crucify, crucify," she said.

    She was loudly jeered when she thanked the ANC for the leadership "it has provided in helping us deal with this emergency".

    Sonjica said South Africa's power crisis was due to the country being part of the "global village". There was a "high demand" of energy globally.

    "China, in 13 of its provinces, has the same problem. The growth of India and China has had an impact."

    She said energy markets in Ontario, Canada, had collapsed. There had been blackouts in the USA and Europe, and Brazil had gone "through the same experience", she said.

    Sonjica said the situation could be turned around.

    "We are confident that we have the ability to turn around the situation. We reassure the South African community and the world at large that all our projects will be on course and that the 2010 Fifa World Cup is not under threat."

     
     

     
         
      Sleep more - Energy Minister
    30/01/2008 15:29
    i would like to thank the Minister for the information, that if you sleep more you grow and become cleverer, i really was not aware of that, What happens to the older generation? What is the largest size you can grow to and how much cleverer do you become. - Rina Oxley
     
      Sleep more - energy minister
    30/01/2008 15:29
    Sleep Earlier so that the criminals can have a field day. What is wrong with the powers that be in this country?? - momz
     
      Powerless
    30/01/2008 15:34
    At least we can sail around in the dark with our great warships and fly our fighter planes. - shaun
     
      Crucify
    30/01/2008 15:35
    ...she thanked the ANC for the leadership "it has provided in helping us deal with this emergency"? The ANC CAUSED this emergency with its short-sightedness, incompetence, and focus on the arms deal instead of Eskom's warnings of future shortages. The Party should resign from government and disband - not reap acclaim for so-called "leadership"! - Ashanzi
     
      Sleep more
    30/01/2008 15:36
    Shame. It is from sleeping too much that the country is in such a mess. Does the minister really think that we should take her seriously? - Shame
     
      Ministerial intelligence
    30/01/2008 15:36
    God help us all if this is the level of intelligence to which we must be subjected. I wonder how much I (and my intelligence) will grow at over 50 years of age. As I will be unable to read in bed, I suspect that it is more likely to diminish, anyway. - Amazed
     
      Sleeping more !
    30/01/2008 15:38
    Pity the minister did not sleep some more so she could have grown up to cleverer ! oh well she can still try now :) - Only_Me
     
      Really
    30/01/2008 15:38
    This is a good one, a real pearl! - Hau
     
      So they blame economic growth?
    30/01/2008 15:40
    According to Carte Blanche the reason for the current crisis is not the demand but the supply, which have been at 70%! It seems the minister is trying to hide government's and Eskom's inabilitity to keep the power stations running. - Wessel
     
      Electricity
    30/01/2008 15:40
    How are you going to monitor the usage of electricity in pre paid boxes which are installed inside the homes of people? - Suzette van der Linde
     
      Bujelwa Sonjica
    30/01/2008 15:42
    Simply put, pathetic, inadequate, embarrassing, irritating, disgraceful and a laughing stock! Another politician that should resign. Go to bed early? I wonder what my emplyer would say if i nipped out home for two hours shut eye twice a day, everyday. If this is the best she can offer then, NEXT PLEASE! - John Camp
     
      This is so funny
    30/01/2008 15:43
    You know what. This is so funny. Only in South Africa do we have ministers that say stupid things like this. Please go and click on her name. She is not even qualified for this position! Thanks for the entertainment HONOURABLE MINISTER.. - Doug
     
      Sleep More
    30/01/2008 15:44
    What a joke!! Goverment must except the responsabilty for the current situation and stop blaming the people and wanting to penelize the people when using more than their so called kwota power. - Sucker
     
      Sense
    30/01/2008 15:44
    This actually makes sense and i`m sure the Board of Eskom and the government obide by this in fact i think they`re constantly sleeping. Therefore no lights necessary - Pman
     
      saving electricity..
    30/01/2008 15:45
    "take a shower and not a shallow bath" Is this energy saving or part of the Aids prevention programme? - lloyd
     
      Cleverer?
    30/01/2008 15:45
    Cleverer? Maybe she needs to sleep more... - CJ
     
      Good One
    30/01/2008 15:45
    At least some competition for Marc Lottering in Cape Town as to who can tell the best jokes. Parliament should sell more tickets!! - Ron
     
      Sleep more
    30/01/2008 15:46
    The ANC goverment was sleeping and thats why we have this problem, it amazes me that they refer to other countries as examples when it suits them, what a laugh this goverment is...God Help us if we keep votong them in here comes Zimbabwe part two!!! - Mike
     
      Go to Sleep earlier
    30/01/2008 15:46
    Ms Buyelwa Sonjica and her colleagues in the minerals and energy department should go to sleep earlier so that they can hopfully become a bit more cleverer so that they can do their job and not be so incompetent. Maybe they will grow up and take responsibility for the mess they have caused. - Brett
     
      rediculous
    30/01/2008 15:47
    Thats the solutions everyones been waiting for. Where do these people get these ideas????? Don't worry SA - we've got VERY clever people up there!!!! - Pietman
     
      Eish!
    30/01/2008 15:48
    Eish, I am so tiyad, I weesh thees problem wood jus go eway. - Spoegs
     
      Cleverer Ministers
    30/01/2008 15:48
    If our ministers slept more they would then have been cleverer - avoiding the mess they caused! Buyelwa Sonjica, please go to bed and stop the spin. - Stefan
     
      ur dumbass....
    30/01/2008 15:49
    "Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer." prove?? she must have gone to bed since grade 1... - jenny
     
      craziness
    30/01/2008 15:49
    Minister - you come and fit my house with a shower. Really now what right do you have to tell us when to sleep! As for the kids they are so over loaded at school that when they should be sleeping they studying. Thats how their intelligence is improved btw. - T
     
      Cack, Minister
    30/01/2008 15:49
    When your national utility has 20% (7,000 MW) of its plant out on breakdowns with no target date for their return to service, and no accountable managers driving that return, you have an energy crisis. Crucify indeed. You don't have the gonads. - SkerP
     
      Earth calling Planet Minister
    30/01/2008 15:49
    The minister must be very short on sleep. I suggest she sleep a lot more, so she can get "cleverer", she is badly in need of it. Further, to compare SA to China, where they are building power stations rapidly, is insulting to the Chinese. - MPD
     
      How dare she!
    30/01/2008 15:50
    How dare the minister display such arrogance in dictating to South Africans how they should live their lives! Rescue us from this fool's paradise. - Affronted
     
      We are fully behind eskom and South African Government
    30/01/2008 15:50
    I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Zille for not using her criticism attacks for political gains, I think the DA must be applauded this time around for providing possible solutions and i also ask the community of south africa to do the same.we will travel this black city together and we will arrive victories there is no time to play a blame game. It?s time to do something to help the government and Eskom to overcome this problem for the sake of our country - Lesedi
     
      Thank you
    30/01/2008 15:50
    Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for making me realise that i am one of the priviledged few that can afford some of the luxuries you were talking about. Thank you for reminding me why i did not vote for short sighted, greedy, anal retentive people who only looks out for themselves. Back to Minister Beetroot. - high
     
      Sleep more & eat beetroot
    30/01/2008 15:51
    then we'll have lots of electricity and no AIDS. our problems .... are solved ! I think the SA panel of experts deserve Darwin awards and Noddy badges. I am soooooo relieved that we're in such capable hands. I'd never have thought that more sleep could have such a superb effect on this energy issue. Wonder what she will say when winter comes along and people pull out the electric blankets... - Grant
     
      omg
    30/01/2008 15:51
    I'm not sure if i should laugh or cry. - fred
     
      More brain power
    30/01/2008 15:52
    Wow the intellectual capacity that must have been needed to come up with this...........mind boggling - Gail
     
      Sleep more
    30/01/2008 15:52
    My advice to the ANC and their so called leaders in would be:"Keep your mouth shut on the Electricity crisis in SA. The more you say the more your lack of understanding the problem and infact the reasons for developing a country and its economy, shows." - Ant
     
      explain that to me, I'm listening
    30/01/2008 15:53
    None of the countries mentioned: China, India, Canada nor Europe nor Brazil had to shut down their main export earners, like we had to do with our mines.All of the countries mentioned would have hold someone accountable if a situation was created that halved their expected growth prospects.How exactly does the high global demand impact us?We aren't exporting to China and Brazil, are we?We must do something.Please vote the fat cats out for a better SA for all. - kwk
     
      Sleep more
    30/01/2008 15:55
    The reason why people can not change their habits is because we have the cheapest electricity in the world. If we were paying economic rates, people will be contrained to change their habits - kontinuum
     
      sleep more
    30/01/2008 15:57
    At least we can be sure the powers that be was doing just that when it was time to plan to keep the infrastructure up to date.I doubt they became cleverer though. - kwk
     
      Moron Buyelwa Sonjica
    30/01/2008 16:00
    In position with her useless qualifications.What do you expect from a twaT!!! - Republic of the Banana
     
      What about some garlic?
    30/01/2008 16:00
    Wouldn't garlic also help solve the energy crisis? - LM
     
      Snooze !
    30/01/2008 16:01
    Sleep more, maybe it is because our government was sleeping for the passed 13 years and now we are sitting in the dark, maybe the minister should wake up earlier and start working... by the way did she sleep when she was appointed, shocking what this country has become - Lights
     
      More Cleva by the day!
    30/01/2008 16:01
    Sweet Mother of God! And these are the people who are our elected leaders! We are increasingly becoming the laughing stock of the world. (or should I say,'weld'?) - OMG
     
      Oh my....
    30/01/2008 16:02
    We should do what?, Is this what government calls a solution?. Phumzile Ncquka said they did not believe the economy would grow, even when a report was presented to them. These guys are parthetic and finally we know why, They have been sleeping too much and not working at all. The worst is that they want us to join them. Why trust such people with crucial things, they should be kinder garden teachers, the little ones would educate them better. we are doomed, bye bye 2010. - PAT
     
      Please...
    30/01/2008 16:02
    Please book this minister into a psychiatric ward because she needs REAL help. While they at it - take the current minister of public enterprise too... - Maverick
     
      I'm sleepless
    30/01/2008 16:03
    I wonder if the people voting for these idiots also feels like idiots now. Imbicils voting for imbicils. Power to the people???????? - Pietman
     
      Zzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzzz
    30/01/2008 16:05
    Oh my word. If she can be a minister so can I. Wake up women.... Are you actually saying these words????? - TK
     
      Sleep More??
    30/01/2008 16:06
    May be if we sleep more we will start to understand these government officials?at the moment none of them are making any sense at all.I wonder how may blackouts she had experienced ? - Moses
     
      Power crisis
    30/01/2008 16:07
    Crying out loud, it took Zimbabwe 24 years before they had power problems and South Africa 14 years!! The writing is definitely on the wall - just another tin pot african state. - rorypff
     
      Good One
    30/01/2008 16:07
    Pull the other one - no seriously, do it. Oh, you mean this was a geniune suggestion?? Are we that far down the toilet already??? - Graeme
     
      Sounds like our Health Minister
    30/01/2008 16:07
    These remarks are nearly as bad the garlic and beetroot ideas, I cannot believe that we have people like this running our country. I have an idea minister, perhaps sleeping more is the reason your brain functions so inadequately. HA HA HA - Pathetic!!!!! - Ha ha
     
      SLEEP MORE???
    30/01/2008 16:10
    Now I've heard it all!!! Lets hope this "minister" goes to bed VERY early tonight, and she is not seen or heard of for a loooooooong time. (That should give her at the very most, a teeny bit of BRAINPOWER (IN HER OPINION) - Annie
     
      Siestog!
    30/01/2008 16:11
    I would expect that kind of statements from a child! Definitely something wrong with the "cleverness" in parliament! - Boet
     
      Sleep more - Energy Minister
    30/01/2008 16:12
    Perhaps the honorable Minister should "Go to sleep earlier so that she can grow and be cleverer?. If 20 Million people go to bed 1 hours earlier and each person switches off a 100 watt light Then there is a saving of 2 000 000 watts or otherwise put 2 Mega watts. Eskom currently has a shortfall of between 3000 and 4000 Mega watts. Thus by sleeping earlier we would be able to reduce the shortfall by a massive 0.05%. Secondly I don?t think Eskom has a shortfall at 9 o clock at night when most of the businesses and factories are closed. The honorable Minister should rather address the root of the problem, Cut down on exporting power to neighboring countries, make sure our power stations have enough coal to burn and make sure power stations and networks are properly maintained - Fred Steffers
     
      Great solution
    30/01/2008 16:12
    How do you congratulate the people who created the crisis for solving it? If they did their work there would not have been a crisis. No offence, but what does a person with no experience in the field, no qualification in the area, unless BA in art and isiXhosa = a technical qualification know about bench marking and technical problem solving. Dear minister what was China and India?s economic growth vs South Africa. Go to bed for a long time, then maybe you will be qualified in die area you are trying to advice us in. - J
     
      Wow
    30/01/2008 16:13
    At times i feel guilty for making the USA my new home, but then i read a bunch of crap like this coming out of the gov mouth! Let me assure you, even after massive winter storms or hurricanes, the power is back up in a few days. Yes the power goes down, but it is not because of people boiling to much water.... mind you i have the need to make a cup of Rooibos. Totsiens Afrika! - johann
     
      please help
    30/01/2008 16:13
    Thank you for a wonderfull site , I am 23 years old and would like to know how much sleep do I need to become a minister one day ? Will this much sleep also improve my grades at school also ? Can I sue my employer for accusing me of to much sleep while at the office. Thanks again and looking forward to your reply - Bongo
     
      ZZZZZZZ
    30/01/2008 16:13
    And she gets paid WHAT??? - Kay Sea
     
      Oh dear lord....
    30/01/2008 16:14
    That's the best they can do??? They can do better I reckon... perhaps by gagging the Energy Mininster, as not only these type of comments and (void) thought process, but also rolling blackouts and lies about wet coal etc is what leaves me sleepless. I normally have to put in 3-4hrs at night in my business due to powercuts, err... "loadshedding" during business hours - and then go toss and turn from worry due to unhappy clients and backlogs. Most SA gov ministers have my vote of NO CONFIDENCE. - Jaco Cilliers
     
      Doug
    30/01/2008 16:15
    Doug, SA can do without pessimists like yourself. If it's so bad here why not head for the greener pastures from whence your ancestors escaped? Then you will realise how lucky you are. If all one gets is stupid comments in SA, then surely so is your one dunderhead! - Ken Gamble
     
      Energy Minister or Stand-up comedian
    30/01/2008 16:17
    Is she being serious or does she have a cruel sense of humour? - Denene Erasmus
     
      Are you serious?
    30/01/2008 16:17
    "Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer"!? WTF???? Ever stopped and thinked who is your target audience? "She was loudly jeered when she thanked the ANC for the leadership" - Is this crisis not the ANC government's FAULT? They were aware of this since mid 90's but failed to act (not to mention wrongly applying AA policies) ANOTHER idiotic "minister" babbling mindless garble before thinking. MANTO is still on top, but I give you close second place!! - Hendrik
     
      ...now we know why ....
    30/01/2008 16:18
    Such comments clearly indicate the ignorance and shortsightedness of most people who are leading our nation. How can you say we should sleep more to save electricity??? Now we know why we are in this messss, its because the government officials are carrying this delusion of thinking that they should sleep more with the aim of growing and becoming clever, instead of doing thorough research and coming up with rational decisions. Sleeping more will bring up a new breed of lazy people!!!! - G-zo
     
      Just a thought
    30/01/2008 16:19
    If they were more awake and put in the same effort in the Energy generation as was put into: Finding new street, town, airport names, arms deals, working on travel schemes. Was as efficient and effective in solving problems like they are in dismantling things that work for example the Scorpions etc. We would be streets ahead of our time. If you take action against people that do not perform you get accountability - Puzzled
     
      Minister Buyelwa Sonjica - YOU ARE A JOKE
    30/01/2008 16:20
    Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, You are a joke. It because of morons like yourself this country is the way it is today. SLEEP MORE? Are you even serious??? I think you gotta wake up instead, and realize how you and the rest of the ANC has screwed up our beautiful country. I am a huge soccer fan and very excited about the 2010 world cup, but i wish that the world cup is taken away from us because maybe something like that will wake all you ministers up. - Shahin Lalla
     
      eskom
    30/01/2008 16:20
    we are not interested in all this arguments, but we want to be served as we pay with pride.Is Eskom still looking forward to an interest hike==dont think soooooooooooooo - malebza
     
      On reflection...................
    30/01/2008 16:21
    If sleep is a factor of IQ.............our fearless leaders are clearly sleep deprived - Gail
     
      "Keep on sleeping"
    30/01/2008 16:21
    This is funny to hear that the minister said we must sleep more. What about during the day, "should we still keep on sleeping to save power?" M-Corn. - Mareme
     
      Buyelwa' s latest comments
    30/01/2008 16:21
    After reading this woman's stupid comments, I call on all non intellectually challanged South Africans not to vote for the ANC this coming elections if you don't want us to turn into Zimbabwe crisis, because with this government,that's where we heading to. - disguted
     
      Telling us when to sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    30/01/2008 16:22
    This is just great - now they want to tell us when we must go to bed, because they did not wake up from their sleep to realise we were going to have a problem if they did not build more stations. What a joke they make themselves? Clowns that we have running parliament - Whatever
     
      ADDING TO THE GARLIC AND BEETROOT THEORY
    30/01/2008 16:22
    Instead of sleeping more, why don't we all go on to a CARROT diet, as we were told (as children) it makes you see better in the dark, then we won't need to switch on some lights. - Annie
     
      Energy crisis
    30/01/2008 16:24
    That must be the dumbest cabinet minister in the world, by the way i'm an ANC member - Emmanuel
     
      No way!!
    30/01/2008 16:24
    Is anybody listening? I also want to go to sleep earlier, so I too can grow. But I am59 so now what? Ag No way. - carol
     
      Ashamed!
    30/01/2008 16:24
    WOW! I bet they spent a lot of money on the delicate, indepth research it took to come up with this contingency plan. They probably got the same monkeys that throw poo at the Zoo to do the research....and then present it to the baboons that run our government. I wish that they all just F%*/% Off along with the other Dictators in Africa and all just commit suicide for the sake of the people. That would be a Happy Day! - Ashamed!
     
      Sleep More
    30/01/2008 16:24
    I'm not surprised that our Minister has such a unique answer for the big challenge that we have, most probably she is not affected because she spents her time sleeping and still get paid. i don't think that even a seven year old child can give such an answer to a problem so big. - maggie
     
      treason
    30/01/2008 16:25
    What the ANC has effected here is nothing short of high treason and appears to be an attempt to make South Africa ungovernable in the future. Perhaps just another step in their attempt to continue looting state coffers. Hang them all! - ian
     
      Summer Daylight Saving
    30/01/2008 16:25
    If the minister could get her head around the concept of daylight saving we could save an hour of lighting in the summer months. - Gavin Selby
     
      I am sorry to say I am black
    30/01/2008 16:26
    I am ashamed to say that I am a black citizen and that I have to sit with friends and see that "stupid" MINISTERS make statements like that please to not under estimate your incompetence because you show it so openly, why dont you imigrate - Jackson Sithole
     
      I just got it!!!!
    30/01/2008 16:27
    I can't believe I only now realised why the Ministers are seen sleeping in Parliament - to get clevererrrr!!!! - Ron
     
      Education of fools
    30/01/2008 16:28
    A future president that tells us take a shower and you won?t get aids, a Health minister that tells us garlic and beetroot will cure aids (Hicup..), and a Energy minister that tells us if we sleep more we become more clever? wow you have to love the educated bunch that run our country. - Richard
     
      Put me to sleep
    30/01/2008 16:34
    As funny as all these comments are, they are too true. I, as a black person am disgusted and appauled by the Minister's statement. First the Zuma anti AIDS shower, and now the energy saver. What do you have for Cancer? - Phelly
     
      IDIOT
    30/01/2008 16:35
    Everybody in the country knows how to save electricity. This is not the problem. The problem is getting the ANC & Eskom to learn how to produce more of the stuff & also why its so important to everybody. Clearly the dishonourable minister needs to sleep more so that she can grow to be cleverer. Perhaps if she sleeps a lot more, nobody would miss her. - Malcolm X
     
      WTF
    30/01/2008 16:39
    I have no words. Really. These people may well make our working holiday in Australia a permanent one. - Roelof
     
         
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