December 12, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim wanted his Congress of South African Trade Unions counterpart Zwelinzima Vavi to be elected as African National Congress deputy president in 2012.

South Africa will increase diesel and gas imports and sign a private sector coal-fired power plant deal as it seeks to halt chronic electricity shortages.

And, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters says improved integrated transport planning is key to meet infrastructure objectives.

South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande revealed on Thursday that Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim wanted his Congress of South African Trade Unions counterpart Zwelinzima Vavi to be elected as African National Congress deputy president in 2012.

He added, however, that he was not aware if Vavi was consulted or not.

He also said he was not critisizing Vavi but he was merely telling the truth and could only guess what ANC President Jacob Zuma said when Jim apparently approached him with this request. 

Nzimande went on to say the he could only assume that if anyone wanted to be deputy president, they would first be required to join a branch of the ANC and rise through the ranks.

Nzimande queried where Numsa had got its mandate from.

Meanwhile, Jim announced that Numsa was challenging its expulsion from Cosatu in court.

South Africa will increase diesel and gas imports and sign a private sector coal-fired power plant deal as it seeks to halt chronic electricity shortages.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told reporters at the fortnightly Cabinet briefing that a private sector-led coal-fired power plant programme will be launched by January 2015, which should add 2 500 megawatts of generation capacity.

Government also will announce on Monday the details of 17 renewable energy projects, aiming at supplying an additional 1 000 megawatts.

Furthermore, Radebe said it would increase gas and diesel imports to supply under-fuelled power plants, which could add another 500 to 2 500 megawatts.

South Africa this month has suffered its worst power shortages since 2008 due to creaking infrastructure, power plant failures and emergency maintenance.

Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters officially launched the National Transport Forum (or NTF) and Transport Sector Broad-Based Black Economic-Empowerment Charter Council on Thursday in an effort to accelerate transport planning in South Africa.

Peters said the key objective of the forum was to enable the development of a transport system that seeks out better integration and investment, supports a strong economy and meets the country’s transport infrastructure objectives. 

She said the forum should, therefore, set out the future of South Africa transport network as well as the balance between a competitive economy and social inclusion. It should also give us the opportunity to deliver a pro-national growth agenda for transport in the short-, and medium- to long-term.

The NTF would comprise of skilled and experienced members from local and international public and private sectors and it would allow for the sharing of best practices and deliver on the vision contained in the National Development Plan, as well as facilitate investment through a funding framework that would fast-track the expansion of the country’s transport network.

Also making headlines:

Cabinet on Thursday announced sweeping changes to the composition of the nonexecutive boards of State-owned power utility Eskom and transport utility Transnet.

Mali has no remaining cases of the Ebola virus as the last patient in the country has recovered and left hospital.

And, authorities in Sierra Leone have imposed a two-week lockdown in the eastern district of Kono after health workers uncovered a surge of Ebola infections in the area where the epidemic was thought to be largely under control.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.