5 things you need to know in South Africa today
Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:
The EFF has vowed that the Guptas will fall, following damning revelations made this weekend that the family is alleged to be involved with R7 billion in suspicious payments. Finance minister Pravin Gordhan made the revelation in court papers filed on Friday. Meanwhile, the family has denied any wrongdoing. According to the EFF, all of South Africa’s current problems can be attributed to the Guptas and president Jacob Zuma – and both will face the full might of the law, the party vowed.
ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine will face criminal charges for controversial comments calling for MK veterans to take up arms and fight to defend president Jacob Zuma. COPE leaders are laying the charge, calling Maine a ‘wannabe’ war-lord, saying he needs to be stopped. Maine has previously been reported to the SAPS for similar charges, but to-date, nothing has been done.
South Africa is at risk of facing dreaded load shedding again in 10 years’ time, if a decisions isn’t made soon about whether or not to go nuclear, Eskom says. According to the power utility, South Africa is projected to need around 40GW of power by 2026, but is only capable of providing 35GW – thus nuclear is a necessary project. Energy experts disagree, however, saying that projection models are using old data, and other energy projects are also being developed.
Wits university is denying that it has a “hit list” of #FeesMustFall leaders, who it is targetting in a bid to silence protesters. Rumours started circulating of the purported list after student leader Mcebo Dlamini was arrested at the weekend on charges of assault, and is expected to appear in court. Wits said it has nothing to do with the arrest itself, and is merely cooperating with an independent SAPS investigation.
South Africa’s rand rallied against the dollar on Friday after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan described fraud charges against him as frivolous and said he intended to continue in his job. On Monday, the rand was trading at R14.27 to the dollar, R17.35 to the pound and R15.71 to the euro.
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