5 important things happening in South Africa today

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• South Africa sends 2,900 troops to the DRC: President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the deployment of 2,900 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members to aid in the fight against illegal armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The budgeted expenditure for the deployment amounts to just over R2 billion. [The Citizen]

• Billions of dollars in climate finance stalled at Eskom: The climate finance agreement made by South Africa at COP 26 in November 2021 pledged billions of dollars in affordable loans. However, the funds have hit a roadblock at Eskom, as the utility is hesitant to take on more debt. [News24]

• Millions of rands paid for just 142 Gauteng jobs: An organization based in Gauteng was awarded a contract by the provincial government to create 75,000 internships for unemployed youths in the region over a period of three years. However, the consultancy ended up creating only 142 opportunities. [Business Day]

• Trio sentenced for RAF fraud:  A family trio were sentenced to jail for fraudulently attempting to claim R31 million from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) after the three submitted 537 fraudulent claims from 40 road accidents. This is a big win for the agency – which has been inundated with fraud cases. [Daily Maverick]

• Markets: The rand was slightly stronger on Monday but remained close to the R19/$ mark, with analysts expecting no positive domestic news to lift it. On Tuesday (13 February), the rand was trading at R18.94 to the dollar, R23.98 to the pound, and R20.41 to the euro. Oil is trading at $82.07 a barrel. [Reuters]