Some consider the decision to tap the forex reserve as a sign that the state can be swayed by the left. But the ANC-led government knows exactly how to neutralise progressive forces
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State capture is often cited as the the reason for the department’s ongoing failures, but its problems run far deeper
With Eskom and most other entities in states of disrepair, the relevance of the department of public enterprises is questioned
In 1997, the warning bells were ringing that South Africa faced a dark future because Eskom would run out of capacity to supply a growing populace and an expanding economy
How Alec Erwin’s big ears almost led to a reunion after many years.
Former minister Ronnie Kasrils’ usefulness as a witness at the arms deal inquiry has been called into question.
The commission has not declassified all the documents before it, and legal teams are still not given adequate time to prepare for cross-examinations.
A new book by the former head of the Competition Tribunal David Lewis argues that the decision-making ability of competition heads has been destroyed.
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/ 6 November 2009
It was one of my first big stories for the M&G: the government was planning to buy military planes for R8-billion, writes Nic Dawes.
After becoming SAA CEO Ngqula, reported directly to Erwin rather than Parliament’s public enterprises committee, according to a source.
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/ 28 October 2008
Brent Meersman reports on the progress at Green Point, which will host a semi-final during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
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/ 27 September 2008
The decision by the ANC to recall President Thabo Mbeki represents the downfall of the most hubristic executive in contemporary South Africa.
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/ 23 September 2008
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is among 11 Cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers who have resigned.
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/ 3 September 2008
It will take an investment of at least R1-trillion to prevent SA from becoming an energy-scarce country, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said.
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/ 2 September 2008
The recent rating downgrade of power utility Eskom by Moody’s is a concern, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said on Tuesday.
President Thabo Mbeki is consulting his lawyers on possible action over the newspaper’s report of his allegedly corrupt involvement in the arms deal.
Public Enterprises Minster Alec Erwin must justify why he has committed billions of taxpayers’ money to an extremely experimental technology.
Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad will not be available to serve in public office after next year’s elections, a media report said on Friday. Pahad is the latest government figure to announce his intentions after Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin went public about his resignation, also planned for after next year’s elections.
Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin would retire after the elections next year, a media report said on Monday. ”The minister would like to confirm that he would not be serving another term. His decision was taken long before the change in African National Congress leadership,” said his spokesperson Vimla Maistry.
Any increase in electricity prices should occur gradually over five years, Eskom was told on Friday at a summit in Sandton on the electricity crisis, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported. The government, labour, the African National Congress and community forums were represented at the summit.
Demands from various quarters that South Africa stop its electricity exports to neighbouring countries amounted to ”economic xenophobia”, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said on Wednesday. Eskom’s customers outside South Africa would be treated exactly like any other customer with the same rights, and this would remain so.
The African National Congress (ANC) may ask President Thabo Mbeki to set up a commission of inquiry into bonuses paid to Eskom bosses, media reports said on Sunday. The Sunday Times said a report commissioned by the ANC into the power crisis revealed gross mismanagement at the state utility.
Power cuts in the winter months ahead are unlikely if the present power-saving trends continue, according to Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin. The overall savings target remains 10%, and the key factor is the behavioural changes that are crucial in the short-term, he told a media briefing at Parliament on Thursday.
When was the last time you heard from Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff, Northern Cape’s Dipuo Peters or even KwaZulu-Natal’s S’bu Ndebele? I reckon not lately. It may be true that some, such as Marshoff and Peters, have always had a low public profile anyway. But Shilowa and Ndebele?
A total of 7 868 items of luggage belonging to South African Airways (SAA) passengers were reported missing from airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London in the three-month period between December 1 and February 29 this year.
Official data tell us that class apartheid, born in April 1994 with features that include durable racism and patriarchy, is now a malevolent juvenile delinquent.As with racial apartheid two decades ago, the chains of class apartheid have growing cracks and, with enough pressure from below, can also be broken.
A national energy summit must be convened with immediate effect to address the current electricity crisis, the African National Congress (ANC) said after a national working committee meeting on Monday. The meeting — which was also attended by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka — was held to discuss the crisis and proposals for a tariff increase.
A national task team to urgently achieve the reductions required to reduce load-shedding and to achieve targeted power savings has been established, power utility Eskom said on Friday. This was done during Friday’s briefing set up by the government to help manage the energy emergency.
The African National Congress (ANC) will meet the ministers responsible for proposed hikes in electricity tariffs in order to discuss the energy situation in the country, the party said on Tuesday. ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said the ANC national working committee had expressed concern over the proposed tariff hikes.
Eskom has been given permission to have ”commercially sensitive” information on its proposed 53% tariff increase withheld from publication, the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) said on Monday. ”It is information that Eskom feels is commercially sensitive — just a paragraph here and there,” said Nersa spokesperson Charles Hlebela.
In the latest blow to South Africans already reeling from scheduled load-shedding, entire cities will now be plunged into darkness as Eskom institutes even more extreme power cuts. The shock development, which will be known as sector-sharing, will see the country divided into four vertical zones, each spanning many thousands of square kilometres.
South African electricity utility Eskom has received more than 100 bids for future electricity cogeneration projects, the company said on Wednesday. The company hopes that cogeneration — which captures wasted heat, power or resources to generate electricity — could potentially add between 1 000MW and 3 500MW to its national grid.