Winde power drives this province:
Western Cape premier Alan Winde talks about fighting budget cuts, a vision for the future, and his confidence ahead of the elections
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Ramaphosa clears confusion over Eskom ministers’ roles:
President Cyril Ramaphosa has clarified the respective roles of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in respect of arresting the Eskom-induced energy crisis.
According to a statement released on Friday, the two ministers have entered into a memorandum of understanding outlining their duties.
Ramokgopa’s appointment as electricity minister last March created some confusion about his role, as well as those of two ANC heavyweights in Gordhan and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe. In May 2023, Ramaphosa transferred certain powers under the Electricity Regulation Act to his new energy csar — relegating Mantashe in the process.
Friday’s statement notes that under the memorandum of understanding, Ramokgopa will focus full-time on all aspects of the electricity crisis and the work of the national energy crisis committee.
The electricity minister will also exercise authority over the Eskom board and management on ending load-shedding.
Ramokgopa’s other duties include improving generation capacity and the purchase of additional capacity; overseeing implementation of the Eskom Generation Recovery Plan; ensuring that the generation fleet performs optimally; and ensuring that transmission-related matters are dealt with, including by helping to develop financing models.
Gordhan, on the other hand, will remain the shareholder representative of Eskom. In doing so, the public enterprises minister will support and assist Ramokgopa in his interactions with the utility’s board.
Gordhan is still charged with steering Eskom’s restructuring. The minister is also tasked with ensuring the establishment and operationalisation of Eskom’s transmission company, as well as overseeing the implementation of the utility’s just energy transition strategy.
“While significant progress has been made in reducing the severity of load-shedding, much work still needs to be done to guarantee a secure supply of electricity,” Ramaphosa said of the memorandum of understanding.
“The collaborative approach outlined in the memorandum of understanding will further strengthen Eskom’s efforts to resolve the electricity crisis. The ministers will work together more closely and with their respective responsibilities clearly outlined to ensure the effective implementation of the Energy Action Plan.”
According to the statement, the memorandum of understanding will only be in place until the end of the current administration.
Meanwhile, after enjoying some respite over the festive season, this week the country endured a fresh round of rolling blackouts.
The energy crisis, which has helped precipitate a protracted economic downturn, is a thorn in the side of the governing ANC as the country heads to a potentially transformative national election later this year.
Dikgang Moseneke appointed to bench for SA genocide case against Israel:
Former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke has been appointed to the bench of judges from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) who will hear South Africa’s genocide case against Israel on Thursday and Friday next week.
Moseneke was appointed in terms of article 31 of the statute of the ICJ, in terms of which a state party bringing a case can choose a person of its nationality to be appointed ad hoc to the bench if one is not in place.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela confirmed on Friday that Moseneke, who retired in 2016, had accepted the nomination.
“A state party which does not have a judge on the bench may choose a person to sit as judge ad hoc in that specific case,” Monyela said.
“Accordingly, South Africa has approached justice Dikgang Moseneke, who has agreed to join the other ICJ judges on the bench and hear our case against Israel,’ he said.
South African professor of international law, Dire Tladi, only begins his tenure as an ICJ judge in February.
South Africa brought the case against Israel in terms of the ICJ’s genocide covention on 29 December, requesting interim measures including a permanent ceasefire, and longer term interventions to bring genocide charges against Benjamin Netanhayu’s government.
The ICJ announced this week that South Africa’s legal team will argue its case on 11 January, while Israel will deliver its responding argument the following day.
In its 84 page application to the court, South Africa argues that the Israeli government has failed to prevent genocide, and has also failed to prosecute the direct, public incitement of genocide against the Palestinian people.
It also argues that Israel has engaged in “genocidal acts” against the people of Gaza and is continuing to do so.
More than 22 000 people have been killed, the majority of them civilians, by the Israeli military in Gaza since 9 October.
The invasion took place in response to a Hamas attack on Israel two days before in which about 1 200 people were killed and hundreds of others kidnapped.
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