Pretoria - The world has moved on in the automotive sector and it is time for South Africa and Africa to follow global trends and start doing away with the internal motor combustion engine to protect the environment, the climate and the economy.
Former MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure, who has now moved to the finance department, Jacob Mamabolo, made these remarks about doing away with the motor vehicle as we know it at the Smart Mobility Africa Summit at the CSIR hosted in Tshwane.
Mamabolo said it was time for South Africa to take its place in the global economy by following global trends. “Car manufacturers have set themselves targets to phase out the internal combustion engine. Many countries have already set the target of 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (of) carbon dioxide by 2030.
“South Africa and Africa have to also make sure we are in-sync with the future. The world is already investing in electrical vehicles charged with batteries and green hydrogen. So it is important that we also reposition, particularly our economy. From renewable mini-power station, solar farms, wind turbines to power green solutions.
“And then also look at the production of some of the equipment and machinery required – fuel cell technology, electrolytes, including the production of solar panels for example. In that way, we will be setting up a sustainable economy.
“So we need to find a sustainable economy built on our competitive advantage – the sun. People in other parts of the world, especially Europe, are beginning to come here to harvest the sun for power, particularly hydrogen, as an export.
“So, if we do not move now, by the time we try to set up and produce some of these smart solutions, the market will be taken; gone. We may end up finding ourselves producing for local consumption, but even for that we might be competing with imports into our country.”
Mamabolo said the trick was for South Africa and Africa to take the sun and use it to build a sustainable economy that will create jobs to fight the high youth unemployment rate.
Pretoria News