ANC Calls for Extension of R350 Covid Grant, Cosatu Says ANC at Risk of Losing Power

LOCAL NEWS

• ANC calls for the extension of the R350 covid-19 grant. Ramaphosa said the grant had a significant positive impact on the poor, and govt must examine the feasibility and affordability of extending it. 9m people applied for the grant last month, and calls for a basic income grant ahead of the Feb budget are persistent
• Union Cosatu says the ANC is dying and faces the real prospect of losing power in 2024 elections at the weekend NEC.
  • It also added pressure on Ramaphosa to act on Tourism Min Sisulu’s remarks regarding the judiciary – saying the ANC’s failure to act was feeding into a culture of mediocrity and only bold action could save the party
• BER Economist Hugo Pienaar says Eskom’s 20.5% tariff increase is responsible for boosting 2022 average inflation from 4.8% to 5.3%.
  • Many parties are concerned that the increase will be unaffordable, but Eskom says it is necessary to keep the lights on and conduct maintenance
• Ramaphosa says divisions and factions within the ANC are becoming a threat to SA’s democracy at the weekend NEC meeting – cautioning against anti-revolutionary threats within the governing party.
  • In a separate comment, ANC Chair Mantashe said he was under attack by forces trying to drive a wedge between him and Ramaphosa
• The SA Communist Party has called for the SARB’s mandate to be expanded to include job creation. In 2019 the NEC had resolved to expand the SARB’s mandate by request of Ace Magashule, but FinMin Mboweni had dismissed this as a mere discussion without an outcome - eNCA