Government

5 important things happening in South Africa today

Staff Writer

 ·22 Dec 2022

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

• Stage 8 caution: South Africa’s provinces do not have contingency plans for if the country moves to stage 8 load shedding at any point, with water, sewage and communications at serious risk if it happens. There has been little to no guidance from the national government on such a scenario, and most authorities appear to be looking to Eskom for what to do. According to the DA, beyond stage 6, there are no longer any guarantees that critical services will be exempt. [News24]

• Durban beaches: There is a renewed push to have Durban’s beaches shut down – this time due to allegedly irregular contracts over lifesaving. This comes after three people drowned at the popular North Beach. There have been continued calls for the beaches to be shut down due to overcrowding and the risk posed by high levels of E.coli in the water due to sewage spilling into the ocean after the recent flooding in the province. Safety concerns now add to the issue. [ENCA]

• Bleak holidays: South Africans are facing a bleak holiday period, with Eskom barely able to keep the lights on. A new analysis of the group’s power production shows that it has hit its lowest levels ever, barely able to produce 16,500MW to meet demand. This is happening when most industries are on break and not adding pressure to the grid. More units are breaking down than are able to be returned to service. At this point, it is uncertain whether the country will have full power on Christmas. [Moneyweb]

• Ramaphosa boost: President Cyril Ramaphosa has been delivered another boost within the ANC, with the party’s new National Executive Committee giving him a comfortable majority. Approximately 70% of the newly elected leaders fall in the Ramaphosa ‘camp’ – and along with five of the top seven leaders being his allies, the president has solid backing heading into his second term. However, he will still face a significant challenge taming his detractors in the NEC, who have been vocal in their opposition. [Daily Maverick]

• Markets: South Africa’s rand strengthened on Wednesday as investors turned their attention abroad after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election as leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) party helped ease some domestic uncertainty. On Thursday, the rand was trading at R17.14/$, R18.19/€ and R20.71/£. Brent crude is trading at $83 a barrel. [Reuters]