For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Nadine Ramdass

Making headlines: State still mulling application for mental assessment of Parliament arson-accused, $497m just transition loan for Komati repowering approved by World Bank and, Guinea junta seeks to prosecute ex-president for alleged corruption 

 

State still mulling application for mental assessment of Parliament arson-accused

The State is still trying to get a mental assessment for Parliament arson-accused Zandile Mafe, after the first one was cancelled due to procedural issues.

Mafe who was arrested on 2 January while the National Assembly building was on fire, finally made it into the dock of the Western Cape High Court on Friday, after refusing to attend the last two dates.

Judge Mokgoatji Josiah Dolamo postponed the pre-trial to 27 January so that Mafe's legal team could give this some consideration and get back to the court.

 

$497m just transition loan for Komati repowering approved by World Bank

South Africa’s request for a $497-million loan to decommission and repower the Komati coal-fired power plant using renewables and batteries has been approved by the World Bank Group board of executive directors.

The last Komati unit was shut at midday on October 31, signalling what Eskom said would be the start of a repowering and repurposing of the site into a renewables, storage, manufacturing and training hub.

In a statement the bank said that the ‘Komati Just Energy Transition Project’ would be financed jointly through a $439.5-million World Bank loan, a $47.5-million concessional loan from the Canadian Clean Energy and Forest Climate Facility, and a $10-million grant from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.

 

Guinea junta seeks to prosecute ex-president for alleged corruption 

Guinea's justice minister has ordered legal proceedings against former President Alpha Conde and more than 180 officials from his deposed regime for alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds, according to a public document.

The West African country is run by a military junta that overthrew 84 year old Conde in a coup last year. 

Some opponents of the junta say it is going after Conde's old allies to prevent them from running in the next elections.

The junta has proposed to hold elections after a 24-month transition period, but has not confirmed when that would start.

Conde is officially in Turkey for medical treatment, but his exact whereabouts are unknown.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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