Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
02 August 2024 | 12:43 CAT
3-minute read

Karpowership’s 2020 plan to anchor two powerships in Richards Bay harbour to supply additional power to the Eskom grid is in the balance. In a parallel development, Total Energies has announced its withdrawal from gas field exploration off the southern coast of South Africa.

Research Director Angelo Fick from the Auwal Socioeconomic Research Institute (ASRI) discussed the impact of these developments on energy security in the country.

The gas exploration had initially provided hope for South Africa’s over-burdened energy sector, and Fick says that despite the withdrawal of foreign investors, the South African government can utilise the gas to secure energy for the state.

“As South Africa urbanises, individuals will have greater energy requirements and these developments do not inspire any confidence and citizens are already feeling uneasy that their everyday electricity needs are not being met. Fuel costs are high, and not just for cars, but the kinds of fuel costs that working class and other people use in order to generate heat and for cooking,” Fick said.

The discussion shifted to a political analysis of the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) as it celebrates its 11^th birthday. As the South African demographic shifts to include younger votes, the EFF is doing well in its efforts to maintain an “age-link” to the voting population by improving youth participation, Fick noted.

Additionally, the party, known for its “oppositional politics” such as its demands of former President Zuma to pay back the money for Nkandla upgrades and its interrogation of President Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal and various other matters related to state capture, will have to change its strategy.

“The other concern that I think they should have is that the VBS scandal should be dealt with once and for all by them because the South African appetite for corruption is lowering by the minute. And my sense is that their particular posturing around the VBS scandal is not going to help their fortunes in future elections because the everyday South African citizen feels the corruption and the wasteful diversion of municipal funds and of government funds,” Fick added.

In theory, the expulsion of Jacob Zuma form the ANC should have signalled the end of the battle between the former president and the party he once led. However, the ANC has appealed the high court’s dismissal of its application to stop the MKP from using the Umkhonto We Sizwe trademark.

“I also suspect that Jacob Zuma, given the appeal process that Tony Yingeni, as his representative in the party, wishes to engage in, is far from finished with the ANC. This has been a problem for the ANC for at least the last 20 years, that they created Jacob Zuma as president of the party, they defended him in various legal processes, defended him on the Nkandla matter, defended him on a variety of state capture allegations, and very lately seem to want to step away from him and step away from him very quickly,” Fick said.

However, the ANC has its hands full as it faces a well-funded, strategically sophisticated adversary in Zuma, Fick said.

The discussion turned to the appointment of Mandisa Maya as the first female Chief Justice.  The decision not only highlights the need for gender parity in the nation’s institutions but also signals a shift towards more inclusive representation in leadership positions.

As women constitute the majority of South Africa’s population, their increased presence in these roles is essential.

Justice Maya’s tenure will be closely watched to see if she brings a new approach to the bench, moving beyond the patriarchal tone set by her predecessors.

This change is particularly crucial given the country’s ongoing struggles with gender-based violence and injustices within the criminal justice system, Fick said.

Listen to the ASRI Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat.