Government

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·19 Nov 2018

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

• Load shedding is back, after Eskom was forced to initiate stage 1 power cuts on Sunday to conserve energy – with the grid remaining under pressure as Eskom sticks to emergency reserves. This is the first time South Africa’s turned to load shedding since 2016, discounting the few sabotage events earlier in 2018. [Business Day]

• Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan will appear before the Zondo commission this week to testify about state capture and give his account of events as the scandal unfolded. The EFF has been on a campaign to discredit the minister, while his supporters have painted him as playing a pivotal role in unearthing the saga. [News24]

• Patricia de Lille has decided to form a new political party to contest the 2019 general elections, following her ouster from the DA. The DA shrugged off the announcement, while the EFF and ANC welcomed any new party that would eat away at the DA’s support base. [IOL]

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has been given a shortlist of five names to be the next national director of public prosecutions. The candidates are Shamila Batohi, Siyabulela Mapoma, Simphiwe Mlotshwa, Rodney de Kock and Andrea Johnson. Ramaphosa is reportedly in favour of Batohi for the job. [Daily Maverick]

• South Africa’s rand rose for a fourth straight session on Friday to end the week nearly 3% firmer, benefiting from political chaos in Britain and a revival of risk appetite linked to a thawing of US-Sino trade tensions. On Monday the rand was trading at R14.05 to the dollar, R18.02 to the pound and R16.02 to the euro.