The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), a South African political party, has vehemently rejected a German offer to fund the acceleration of South Africa's transition away from coal-fired power stations. In a statement released on Monday, September 9th, the MK labeled the offer as "hypocritical" and a form of "neo-colonial arrogance."
The party specifically criticizes Germany for continuing to rely heavily on coal while simultaneously pressuring South Africa to abandon it. The MK points out Germany's significant reliance on coal-fired power generation, both domestically and within the European Union.
"This move by Germany is spectacularly hypocritical because Germany itself continues to place reliance on coal as a source of electricity to propel the growth of its economy. Germany is the second-largest country in the EU in terms of coal-fired electricity generation. Seven of the EU’s top ten emitters are German power plants," the MK party noted.
The MK also argued that the proposed "just transition" away from coal should be subject to a thorough, transparent, and internally driven debate involving all stakeholders and local communities.
“The uMkhonto weSizwe Party condemns this loan and attempts by Western countries to paralyze South Africa’s ability to grow the economy, reduce poverty, and fight inequality,” the opposition party said.
The MK also urged the country’s government to resist what they perceive as an attempt to impose this transition through "flashing blood money" and pressure from "neocolonialist" Western countries.