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Daily Podcast – January 18, 2016

Daily Podcast – January 18, 2016

18th January 2016

By: Sane Dhlamini
Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor and Researcher

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January 18, 2016.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

More unions blast new tax, retirement changes.

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More than 100 people are quarantined after Sierra Leone Ebola death.

And, Nersa starts Eskom tariff hike hearings.

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More unions have joined Cosatu in expressing their displeasure with - and possible strike action against - new tax law amendments signed into law by President Jacob Zuma.

All retirement reforms related to tax harmonisation on retirement contributions and benefits will come into effect on March 1, 2016.

Cosatu regards the legislation as an offence against all working people, who have their deferred wages to look forward to after retirement.

According to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, however, the amendments are about the welfare of workers and encouraging saving in the South African economy.

The Food and Allied Workers Union condemned the new amendment as nothing but the declaration of war against the working people of the country by government.

The National Union of Mineworkers said it was deeply shocked and saddened by Zuma's signing of the tax legislation into law.

 

More than 100 people have been quarantined in Sierra Leone after coming into contact with a woman who died of Ebola last week, highlighting the potential for the disease to spread, just as the deadliest outbreak on record appeared to be over.

The World Health Organization (or WHO) last week declared that "all known chains of transmission had been stopped in West Africa" after Liberia joined Sierra Leone and Guinea in going six weeks with no reported new cases of Ebola.

At the same time, it warned of possible flare-ups as survivors could carry the virus for months.

Just after the WHO announcement on Thursday, tests revealed that a 22-year-old student, died of Ebola on January 12. Her death had concerned health experts because authorities failed to follow basic protocols, according to a health report seen by a news agency last week.

The Ministry of Health and the Office of National Security said in a joint statement that 109 people had so far been quarantined, 28 of whom were high-risk cases.

 

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (or Nersa) will start its public hearings today as part of Eskom’s application to recover an additional R22.8-billon through an electricity tariff increase.

The Nersa public hearings will start in Cape Town and end in Midrand on 5 February.

Nersa approved electricity tariff increases for Eskom based on a number of assumptions on factors such as electricity demand and cost of primary energy. Depending on how those assumptions pan out, Eskom is either owed money or owes the public.

Eskom submitted an application for the 2013/14 financial year in November. An approval of the application could result in future tariff hikes.

In its application to Nersa, Eskom wanted to recoup, among others, R11.7-billion for a shortfall in revenue, R8-billion in costs associated with the utility’s peaking open cycle gas turbine plants and R2.4-billion for primary energy costs.

Also making headlines:

SADC facilitator Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to present a report on his recent visit to Lesotho, to the SADC extra-ordinary double troika summit scheduled for Gaborone today.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala said anti-racism should be taught in SA schools.

And, Outa was widening its scope to challenge poor governance, maladministration and corruption around South Africa.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter[@PolityZA]
That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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