Daily Podcast - April 16, 2008

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Wednesday, April sixteen, 2008

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Hilary Klopper

Making headlines today:

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday again came under criticism over his perceived denialist stance on the Zimbabwean crisis, with African National Congress treasurer general Matthews Phosa saying he "must listen to" the ruling party's new leadership.

Phosa said that South Africa should put more pressure on the Electoral Commission to release the results "so that the voice of the people of Zimbabwe is heard".

Phosa went on to stress that Africa could not afford to turn a blind eye, as whatever happened in the economically ruined Zimbabwe would spill over its borders.


South Africa's Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Tuesday that one of the envisaged outcomes of an electricity tariff increase would be to stimulate private sector participation in the country's power generation industry.

Speaking at the tenth yearly power and electricity conference in Johannesburg, she said the current low tariffs and "cheapness" of South Africa's electricity were deterring private sector investment in power generation projects.

The State wants independent power producers to generate 30% of the country's power, but Eskom will be designated the single buyer of the power.

Platinum-miner Aquarius Platinum and its South African subsidiary will buy back shares held in the two companies by rival Impala Platinum in a deal worth $790-million.

Aquarius, which mines platinum-group metals in South Africa and Zimbabwe, will buy Implats' 8,4% stake in the company for a total of $285-million, and plans to cancel the repurchased shares.

Implats approached the company late last year with a proposal to exit its interests as part of a portfolio review, Aquarius said.

The two companies jointly own the Mimosa platinum mine, in Zimbabwe.

Also making headlines:

South African government’s ICT spend set to rise to R8bn by 2011
Denel targets global missile market
The ANC asks Erwin to halt Eskom’s big tariff increase
Anooraq concludes R3,6bn Angloplat deal
Australian firm to search for uranium in Botswana
And, a worker is killed at a BHP Billiton colliery

In political news:
UN council and African Union to debate Zimbabwe
Plane crashes in Congo, confusion over death toll
African leaders fail to make breakthrough on NEPAD
And, the world's top greenhouse gas emitters meet in Paris

That’s a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories, visit engineeringnews.co.za, miningweekly.com and polity.org.za