President Cyril Ramaphosa could this week demonstrate his “political will” to present his implementation plan for the recommendations of the state capture inquiry report on time.
But it is unclear if he will give feedback on the plan by Saturday. Ramaphosa said last month “the political will is there” to meet an October 15 deadline.
He must respond to hundreds of recommendations in six volumes filed by judge Raymond Zondo, the inquiry’s chair who is now the country’s chief justice.
Ramaphosa said in the National Assembly on September 30: “Will we be able to meet the deadline of October 15? The desire is that we should.”
Zondo belatedly filed his last instalment on the four-year-long commission of inquiry a week late on June 23. Ramaphosa must respond within four months of the last submission.
On Monday, former president Jacob Zuma’s case against state prosecutor advocate Billy Downer and News24 specialist legal journalist Karyn Maughan over Zuma’s medical records will be heard in the high court in Pietermaritzburg.
Meanwhile, SA starts the week with another round of blackouts, this time at stage 2 until Wednesday and scheduled from 4pm to midnight. State-owned power utility Eskom has promised to try limiting cuts to night time to lessen the effect on people and businesses.
“This is crisis management,” said energy analyst Chris Yelland.
By Saturday, technicians had restored supply from two units at Kriel power station and one each at five other stations. A generating unit at Kendal and another at Kusile were out of service for repairs.
Short-lived respite
“We currently have 5,487MW on planned maintenance, while another 14,061MW of capacity is unavailable [due to] repairs,” Eskom’s power alert read on Sunday.
Saturday was the first day without load-shedding in 32 days, Bloomberg has reported. This respite was short-lived. The latest nationwide blackouts come at the start of the second week of the new Eskom board chaired by Mpho Makwana.
On September 30, public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan announced the new board amid rising public furore over load-shedding. He hoped the board would immediately tackle the problem.
In a 2021 research note, economist Francois Stofberg estimated growth in SA was up to 10% lower due to Eskom’s shortcomings. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) pegged the cost of load-shedding at up to R118bn in 2019.
Eskom will give an update on the load-shedding schedule on Wednesday or before as needed.
On Monday, social development minister Lindiwe Zulu will hold a briefing on the affordability of social grants. She will discuss the R350 social relief of distress grant introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sisulu will provide details of the requirements for a top-up grant for orphans.
Political wrangling in Johannesburg will be top of the agenda when DA Gauteng leader Mpho Phalatse speaks on Monday morning.
Phalatse and several councillors will tout multiparty government after a heavy blow last week when Phalatse was ousted after 11 months as Johannesburg mayor.
The same day, incoming ANC mayor Dada Morero will be sworn in with a new mayoral committee. It comprises four ANC councillors and six from other parties. The coalition is the ANC’s latest move to harness coalitions to claw back power.
From Tuesday to Friday, the auditor-general will present audit reports on government departments and state-owned entities to various portfolio committees. They include higher education & training, mineral resources & energy, transport, and public service & administration.
Over two days, the select committee on finance will discuss draft changes to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.
On Tuesday, the tourism department will report on its recovery plan for the sector and address traveller safety. Last Monday, German tourist Jörg Schnarr was shot dead near a Kruger National Park gate. His wife and two fellow tourists survived the ordeal.
On Wednesday, the SABC will present to the public enterprises & communication select committee its plan to make the national broadcaster profitable.
In local politics, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) is running three by-elections this week in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
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