January 14, 2015
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Samantha Moolman
Making headlines:

Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson met with representatives of the Energy Intensive User Group to discuss how to tackle the challenge of limited electricity supply “through collaborative approaches”.

Nigeria's election next month is a factor behind the sharp increase in attacks by Boko Haram Islamist militants in the north of the country, according to the US State Department.

And, forty matriculants from schools across South Africa have received bursaries totalling R5-million from the Department of Public Works to further their studies in the fields of the built environment.

Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson met with representatives of the Energy Intensive User Group – comprising South African companies that are the major users of energy in South Africa – to discuss how to tackle the challenge of limited electricity supply “through collaborative approaches”.

This followed a recent report by a news agency in which it quoted Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown as saying that State-owned power utility Eskom would “run out of money” by the end of January.

Further, the parastatal this week warned that the national grid would remain “extremely constrained” as more businesses reopen, workers return to work and scholars head back to school after the December holidays.    

In her opening address to the meeting, Joemat-Pettersson called on industry to “do what it could” to provide solutions, and committed the government to building and sustaining the industrialisation of the country.

Various options, including cogeneration and independent power producer (or IPP) arrangements would be pursued, as well as demand management strategies. IPP programmes will also be further accelerated and the Minister has undertaken to address any legislative and regulatory constraints.

Various proposals would also be made through industry body Business Unity South Africa for government consideration.

Nigeria's election next month is a factor behind the sharp increase in attacks by Boko Haram Islamist militants in the north of the country, according to the US State Department.

Spokesperson Marie Harf said, however, that the February 14 presidential election should go forward despite the violence, which the United Nations and human rights groups say has forced about 20 000 Nigerians to flee to neighbouring countries in recent weeks.

She was convinced that the escalation in the number of reported casualties has to do with the elections, adding that Boko Haram previously used events such as elections to create tension.

Harf said it is important to move forward with the election, which is expected to be a close contest between President Goodluck Jonathan and his leading challenger Muhammadu Buhari. 

Forty matriculants from schools across South Africa have received bursaries totalling R5-million from the Department of Public Works (or DPW) to further their studies in the fields of the built environment. This is in partnership with the Construction Education and Training Authority.

Speaking at the event in Centurion, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi noted that each of the students would receive a R120 000 bursary, which would cover their studies at a tertiary institution, accommodation, textbooks and a monthly allowance.

Nxesi said the money spent on such education is not simply another expenditure and, therefore, a drain on the fiscus, but rather it must be seen as an investment in the economy and in the future wellbeing of society as a whole.

Careers in the built environment include civil, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering; quantity surveying; property valuation; architecture; landscape architecture and town planning.

Of the 40 bursary recipients, 31 were from schools participating in the DPW schools programme.  Fifteen schools in Mthatha, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, Mmabatho and Kimberley took part in the programme. 

Nxesi reiterated that the schools programme seeks to address challenges faced by the DPW and to promote teaching of maths and science, while opening up access to the built environment professions.

Also making headlines:

Falling oil revenues and intensifying fighting across Libya mean the humanitarian situation is worsening and basic public services may collapse, said aid agencies.

Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete urged Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema to desist from using President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation address next month to demand that he answers questions on the Nkandla controversy.

South African Airways has achieved the highest level of the International Air Transport Association’s Environmental Assessment programme.

Health workers treating women with pregnancy-related problems in Ebola-hit countries are being forced to make life or death decisions for their patients and themselves, experts said on Wednesday.

And, Madagascar's President has accepted the resignation of his Prime Minister and government amid mounting public frustration about regular power cuts and a failure to deliver on promises of improvements to daily life.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter [@PolityZA].

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.