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Feb
23
2023
By The African Mirror
South Africa govt to take on half of struggling Eskom’s debt

South Africa govt to take on half of struggling Eskom’s debt

NEWS
OLIVIA KUMWENDA-MTAMBO, WENDELL ROELF and KOPANO GUMBI SOUTH Africa's government plans to take on more than half of struggling state power company Eskom's debt over the next three years to help strengthen its balance sheet and operations and enable it to restructure, National Treasury said on Wednesday. Treasury said the government would take on 254 billion rands ($14 billion) of Eskom's 423 billion rand debt that was at risk of default, to enable the utility to pay down the debt and interest obligations. The move will free up money for spending on maintenance and the transmission and distribution parts of…
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Feb
17
2023
By The African Mirror
South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends electricity minister appointment

South Africa’s Ramaphosa defends electricity minister appointment

NEWS
SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his decision to appoint a minister to try to end crippling power cuts, rejecting criticism the role would cause confusion in government. State utility Eskom is implementing the worst power outages on record, constraining the country's economic growth prospects. That prompted Ramaphosa to declare a "state of disaster" and said he would appoint a new Minister of Electricity last week. Some lawmakers said the appointment would add a layer of bureaucracy as Eskom is overseen by the public enterprises minister while the energy minister is responsible for procuring additional power generation capacity. Ramaphosa told parliament some…
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Feb
12
2023
By CARIEN DU PLESSIS and KOPANO GUMBI
How will South Africa’s ‘state of disaster’ resolve power crisis?

How will South Africa’s ‘state of disaster’ resolve power crisis?

NEWS
SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster to fight a paralyzing power crisis that in recent months has included daily rolling power cuts. What does this mean and how might it resolve a crisis that has been years in the making? WHAT IS A NATIONAL STATE OF DISASTER? The president has the power under the 2002 National Disaster Management Act to declare a crisis a National State of Disaster if existing legislation cannot adequately deal with the problem. This gives the government powers to release available resources to tackle the disaster, appoint people to render emergency services and…
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Jan
17
2023
By The African Mirror
Energy crisis forces SA president to skip World Economic Forum

Energy crisis forces SA president to skip World Economic Forum

NEWS
SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa will no longer attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos due to the ongoing energy crisis in the country, his spokesman said. Power cuts have worsened since Tuesday when struggling state utility Eskom said it would implement its worst-ever outages until further notice. The power cuts are a major source of public frustration with the governing African National Congress (ANC) and a brake on economic growth in Africa's most industrialised nation. "Currently the President is convening a meeting with leaders of political parties represented in parliament, NECCOM (National Energy Crisis Committee) and the Eskom board," Vincent…
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Dec
03
2022
By The African Mirror
South Africa’s Ramaphosa: from activist to businessman to wounded president

South Africa’s Ramaphosa: from activist to businessman to wounded president

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
TIM COCKS and ALEXANDER WINNING PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa, the anti-apartheid champion who become one of South Africa's wealthiest businessmen and then its most powerful politician, was battling for his political survival. He took on the top job in 2018, vowing to root out corruption and fix the economy. But just as he was about to start fighting for his second term, he was facing calls to quit after an advisory panel found preliminary evidence that he may have committed misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes. Ramaphosa was the leading negotiator for the African National Congress…
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Oct
25
2022
By The African Mirror
SA’s Ramaphosa outlines anti-graft plans after inquiry

SA’s Ramaphosa outlines anti-graft plans after inquiry

NEWS
SOUTH Africa will overhaul its anti-corruption strategy and ensure the independence of prosecutors, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, responding to recommendations from a state inquiry into alleged corruption under his predecessor. A judicial commission of inquiry was established to examine allegations of high-level graft during former President Jacob Zuma's nine years in power from 2009 to 2018. "The people of South Africa are tired of corruption and want it to end," Ramaphosa said in a live television broadcast. "As a country, we are emerging from a dark and difficult period." The inquiry found Zuma had allowed businessmen close to him - brothers Atul,…
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Aug
03
2022
By The African Mirror
Ramaphosa acts to ease South Africa’s energy crisis: impact will be felt in renewables

Ramaphosa acts to ease South Africa’s energy crisis: impact will be felt in renewables

ENVIRONMENT
SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced an action plan to address the country’s growing energy crisis. It included relaxing the legislative and environmental requirements to speed up private investment and increase generation capacity. The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked Wikus Kruger for his insights. Author WIKUS KRUGER, Researcher in Renewable Energy, University of Cape Town What impact will this have on renewable energy uptake? Part of the challenge with the president’s announcements – and it’s natural that this will happen in a public speech – is that it’s relatively light on details and timelines. And so not everything is…
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Jul
08
2022
By The African Mirror
South Africa mourns the 21 victims of tavern tragedy

South Africa mourns the 21 victims of tavern tragedy

NEWS
JOHNNIE ISAAC SOUTH African mourners gathered in the coastal city of East London to grieve the still-mysterious deaths of 21 teenagers in a poorly ventilated local tavern 10 days ago. Dressed in black, they sang and danced to solemn gospel songs in front of the coffins of 19 of the victims, the youngest of whom was a 13-year-old girl, Thembinkosi Silwane. All were empty, the funeral parlour said, as police were still investigating the deaths - the remaining two were buried separately by their families. "Our hearts are broken. There are parents who will not get to hug or kiss…
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May
04
2022
By The African Mirror
South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

COVID-19
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government published “special regulations” to contain the spread of the disease. These actions were taken under special powers granted by the Disaster Management Act. In April 2022, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an end to the crisis management mode the country had been in for two years. Now processes are underway to embed some of the special regulations into the country’s general health regulations related to notifiable medical conditions. Authors IGNATIUS MICHAEL VILJOEN, PhD Candidate Cell and Gene Therapy Regulation. Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Pretoria…
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