July 18, 2023.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lynne Davies.

Making headlines:

Finance Minister rebuffs ANC’s call to pressure Reserve Bank

Ramaphosa urges peacebuilding to commemorate Mandela Day

And, Jan Oberholzer to leave Eskom in shock development

Finance Minister rebuffs ANC’s call to pressure Reserve Bank

South Africa’s Finance Minister rebuffed a call by some in the nation’s governing party for him to push the Reserve Bank to use measures other than lifting borrowing costs to curb inflation, as he reaffirmed the bank’s independence.

On Sunday the African National Congress asked Enoch Godongwana to hold urgent talks with the South African Reserve Bank about ways to address the surging cost of living “other than raising interest rates.”

The comments come as the ANC gears up campaigning for presidential elections next year, when the party risks losing political support because of weak economic growth, high unemployment and growing inequality.

The Reserve bank is scheduled to announce its next rate decision on Thursday, the day after latest inflation data is released.

Ramaphosa urges peacebuilding to commemorate Mandela Day

In celebrating former President Nelson Mandela’s birthday, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on citizens to promote peace.

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa wrote that peace in the world, an end to conflicts everywhere, and a true international fellowship of humankind, are the ideals that Mandela stood for.

Mandela died after a prolonged respiratory infection on December 5, 2013.

Ramaphosa noted that the country’s experience with negotiating an end to apartheid and with building a multiparty democracy is regularly sought out by parties seeking to bring conflict to an end.

Jan Oberholzer to leave Eskom in shock development

In a surprise announcement, Eskom said that the utility and its former COO Jan Oberholzer would "part ways by mutual agreement".

Last month, Eskom confirmed that it had signed a two-year contract with Oberholzer to oversee key projects at coal-fired power station Kusile and nuclear power plant Koeberg.

Oberholzer officially retired in April this year, with the board saying it planned to scrap the position of COO upon his departure. His retirement followed the contentious exit of former CEO André de Ruyter.

Eskom's acting group CEO Calib Cassim said he had appointed Oberholzer on a contract basis to oversee the completion of the critical projects at Kusile and Koeberg.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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