Eskom power cut derails Western Cape train service, Mbalula not impressed

Commuter trains throughout the Western Cape came to a halt on Thursday as Eskom disconnected power to Metrorail due to unpaid bills, causing transport chaos in the province. Limited service was... 

South African budget highlights scale of fiscal deterioration – Fitch

South Africa's 2020 budget review highlights the severe deterioration underway in public finances and the long-term policy challenge of stabilising government debt, ratings agency Fitch said.... 

Minerals Council CEO says Mboweni is on the right path

The Minerals Council South Africa on Wednesday said it believed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has taken important steps to address South Africa’s economic crisis, building on the direction from... 

Numsa march against exploitation in Rustenburg mines

About 100 members of the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) from Lanxess chrome mine in Rustenburg braved the scorching sun on Wednesday, to march against exploitation in the mines. Dressed in... 

Charge copper thieves with economic sabotage, says Mbalula

Copper thieves should be charged with economic sabotage rather than common theft, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula suggested in Parliament on Tuesday. Mbalula told the portfolio committee on... 

No load-shedding expected on Monday as outlook is positive, says Eskom

No load-shedding is expected on Monday, as the power generation outlook is positive, with four generation units returning to service, Eskom said. "With the planned return of four generation units,... 

I'm not dithering on more energy capacity, says Mantashe

Mineral Resources And Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe on Thursday said there was no deliberate delay on his part in bringing more renewable power to the grid to solve South Africa's energy crisis,... 

Ramaphosa says denying criminality of apartheid is 'treasonous'

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday told parliament that in his view it was treasonous to deny that apartheid was a crime against humanity, thereby publicly repudiating former president FW de... 

CPI up 4.5% for January

Annual consumer price inflation increased at a faster rate of 4.5% in January, compared to 4% in December, according to data released on Wednesday. The rate was buoyed by increases in the price of... 

Labour federation Fedusa slams 3.8% national minimum wage increase

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) said it was outraged after the employment and labour minister only increased the statutory minimum wage by 3.8% to R20.76 an hour with effect from... 

Eskom CEO says it wants hand in negotiating IPP pricing

Eskom wants to play a role in negotiating the price at which new and existing independent power producers sell electricity to the embattled utility, CEO Andre de Ruyter told MPs on Tuesday, "It is... 

Govt allocates R143m for drought relief in Limpopo

South Africa's department of human settlements, water and sanitation has allocated R143-million for drought relief in Moutse in Limpopo province. The funds will be administered by water board... 

Ramaphosa to meet business executives on infrastructure investment

President Cyril Ramaphosa was due to meet the chief executives of commercial banks and leaders of multilateral development finance institutions on Tuesday to assess progress made in efforts to... 

Mboweni moots referendum on rescuing State-owned companies on Twitter

After a short hiatus from Twitter, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is once again posting prolifically, using the platform at the weekend to call for a public debate, possibly a referendum, on the use... 

Commission recommends approval of PepsiCo’s acquisition of Pioneer Foods

South Africa's Competition Commission has recommended that the Competition Tribunal conditionally approve the acquisition of Pioneer Foods by a wholly-owned subsidiary of United States... 

TLU SA objects to forced, costly water meters for irrigation farmers

In an official letter to the Minister of Water Affairs and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, TLU SA on Tuesday strongly objected to an announcement on the installation of obligatory water measuring... 

EFF cries police conspiracy, vows to disrupt parliament opening

The Economic Freedom Fighters said on Tuesday it had learnt of a plan to bring police into Parliament, disguised as members of the legislature's protection services, in response to its plan to... 

Ramaphosa calls for SA, Germany to tackle energy challenges

As German chancellor Angela Merkel began a state visit to South African on Thursday, president Cyril Ramaphosa called for greater cooperation between the two nations on clean energy, low carbon... 

Ramaphosa issues proclamation on dedicated sexual offences courts

President Cyril Ramaphosa had issued a proclamation to start legislation that would establish dedicated sexual offences courts, his spokesperson said on Thursday. "The joint effort by government... 

SA business confidence declines in January

Confidence among South African businesses dipped in January, a survey showed on Thursday,  weighed down by uncertainty around the domestic and global economy. The South African Chamber of Commerce... 

Eskom to implement Stage 2 load-shedding continuously

Eskom said on Wednesday morning it would implement Stage 2 load-shedding continuously until Thursday morning as electricity capacity constraints did not allow it to give clients respite during... 

Eskom confirms Stage 2 load-shedding will continue until Thursday

Eskom confirmed on Tuesday that it would continue with Stage 2 load-shedding until Thursday morning. The embattled power utility, which has a total generating capacity of 46 000 megawatt, said... 

Eskom defends request for R27bn tariff increase from regulator

South Africa's cash-strapped power utility Eskom has defended its request for an additional R27-billion in tariffs, saying it needs to recover prudently-incurred costs for the 2018/2019 financial... 

Nzimande places Construction Education and Training Authority under administration

Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande has placed the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) under administration. Nzimande made the decision after he was... 

Transnet appoints Portia Derby as new Group CEO

Portia Derby has been appointed group chief executive of Transnet, the department of public enterprises said on Friday night.  The appointment was made following "an extensive and rigorous search",... 

MTN announces $1.6bn investment to expand network in Nigeria

South African multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN said it was making a capital investment of $1.6-billion over the next three years to strengthen and expand its network and... 

SA Express hopes to receive money owed by troubled carrier SAA

State-owned airline SA Express Airways said on Wednesday it was hoping cash-strapped national carrier South African Airways would prioritise paying money it owes the former. On Tuesday SAA’s... 

Liquidations up 10.7% in 2019 compared with 2018 – Stats SA

The number of liquidations in South Africa increased by 10.7% in 2019 compared with 2018, the national statistics agency has said. The sharp rise follows annual declines in liquidations in the two... 

Ramaphosa calls on SA's business sector to support Africa's economic aspirations

President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement on Tuesday has called upon South African business "to form part of the collective national effort to advance the interests of the country and continent".... 

Delayed govt payments forcing contractors out of business – Databuild

The South African government’s failure to pay building contractors on time or to even pay them at all, sometimes, is one of the major causes of job losses in the construction sector, an industry... 

Numsa mourns death of worker at Tau Lekoa mine

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is mourning the death of a worker during a seismic incident which caused a rock fall at Tau Lekoa mine in North West province. In a... 

Eskom seeks contempt of court order against Trillian for its failure to pay the power utility – report

Eskom has gone to court to ask for a contempt of court order against State capture-linked Trillian Management Consulting, which has allegedly failed to pay back a cent of the money it owes the... 

South Sudan's 100 MW Juba power plant to be completed by March

South Sudan's Juba power plant will be completed by March, the country's minister of energy and dams has said.  "Electricity is a basic need and electricity is the engine of development. If you... 

Mantashe confirms new Necsa board members

Energy and mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe has appointed seven members to the board of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa).  The former board members resigned en masse... 

Ramaphosa skipping Davos to focus on 'domestic priorities'

President Cyril Ramaphosa would not be attending the annual four-day World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week, his office said on Thursday.  He would be skipping the UK-Africa... 

No load-shedding expected for the rest of the week, says Eskom

South Africa's electricity provider Eskom said no load-shedding was expected for the rest of the week as their emergency resources have been used to ensure that there was adequate generation... 

US-Iran conflict to affect February fuel price adjustment – AA

Unleaded 95 Octane petrol is expected to drop by eight cents a litre in February, but 93 Octane petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin are all set to increase at month-end due to the tensions... 

Tally in fraud case against Gumede and co-accused rises to R389m

The amount involved in the alleged fraud and corruption perpetrated by former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and her co-accused in a Durban Solid Waste tender has risen to R389-million, a Durban... 

UK pledges new aid to help build green cities across Africa

The United Kingdom has pledged new aid towards building green cities across Africa with quality infrastructure to help the continent reach its economic potential. The announcement from the UK... 

Cheap cement imports crippling South African industry, says Databuild

South African cement manufacturers are being severely undermined by cheap imports from countries such as China, Vietnam and Pakistan, an industry official said on Wednesday. The government's...