Madam Deputy Speaker, the ID understands the importance of the World Bank loan for South Africa. We know that we desperately need this money for the completion of the Medupi Power station, the construction of a concentrated solar thermal power plant, and a wind farm. However, what is even more important to the ID is to ensure that there is clean governance in our electricity sector, and that the ANC does not profit from government contracts or have a vested financial interest in a coal-based future.
It is for this reason that last week the ID wrote to the World Bank demanding that it should not give the loan to South Africa unless Chancellor House divests its shares in Hitachi Power Africa. The ID will stop at nothing to ensure that the ANC, through its front company Chancellor House, is not allowed to make billions of rand from our electricity build programme. It is a bitter irony that we have to resort to the World Bank to get the ANC simply to live up to its word when it stated two years ago that it would divest these shares. It has also been farcical to watch some members of the ANC trying to defend the indefensible. This sorry debacle once again points to the need for comprehensive legislation regulating political party funding in South Africa. The ID will now step up its campaign to ensure that this finally happens. I thank you. [Applause.]