Tuesday June 28, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Jessica Hannah

Making headlines:

South African power utility Eskom has warned that it won’t be able to absorb the carbon tax proposed by the National Treasury in a recent discussion document. The utility says it’ll be forced to pass on the full cost to the consumer in the form of higher prices.

The utility, which burnt 124.7-million tons of coal and produced 230.3-million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the year to March 31, 2011, reports that it has submitted a “strong” response to government. The group is South Africa’s biggest emitter, producing about 1 ton of CO2 for every megawatt hour of production.

The National Treasury has issued a discussion paper on a proposed tax and has indicated that it’ll seek to finalise its policy ahead of the 2012 Budget.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Monday agreed with President Jacob Zuma's assessment that the African National Congress was in crisis.

In a copy of his secretariat report, distributed to delegates at the Congress of South African Trade Unions' central committee meeting in Midrand, Vavi described the past three-and-a-half years as "probably... the most dynamic and volatile" in South African politics.

He said a "powerful, corrupt, predatory elite combined with a conservative populist agenda to harness the ANC to advance their interests" had emerged during this period.

Department of Transport director-general George Mahlalela said on Monday that no decision had been made on the Gauteng toll tariffs. This after media reports stated that the proposed tariff of 66c/km, before discounts, might not change.

Mahlalela said the articles were based on “inaccurate claims”.

Mahlalela said in a statement that he wished to reiterate that no decision has been made on the Gauteng toll tariffs, adding that the tariffs would be announced by Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele “in due course”.

Also making headlines:

The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The United States urges Cameroonian authorities not to stifle the opposition ahead of a presidential poll planned for October.

And, South Africa's powerful union movement fired a warning shot at President Jacob Zuma on Monday, telling him not to take its support for granted in next year's elections for leader of the ruling African National Congress.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.