Govt Rejects Union Pressure on 2018 Wage Deal; Eskom Probes CEO De Ruyter

LOCAL NEWS

• Govt rejects continued pressure from unions regarding the R37bn 2018 wage agreement, which unions have tried to escalate to the Constitutional court after failing at a Labour court level. Govt says this is simply too late now as there is no room in the budget
  • Comes as Unions press for an utterly unaffordable CPI + 4% 2021 wage deal, which is detached from the reality of the country's fiscal situation – underscoring the difficulty of trimming the wage bill
• Eskom launches independent internal investigation into CEO De Ruyter after SCOPA said it was seeking legal advice on how to structure its own probe on the matter.
  • Allegations include claims of nepotism and irregularity in terms of cutting contracts to suppliers along racial lines
• Experts highlight difficulties in private companies accessing vaccines, given manufacturers' commitments to only deliver to governments.
  • Medical aids have been given permission by the state to assist in the rollout, but have been stopped by manufacturers, possibly creating a bottleneck for SA
• Govt pledges to tackle serious mining application backlog of 5,326 applications for mining & prospecting rights, permits, renewals and concessions or sale of rights – inhibiting the exploration and construction process.
  • Govt is currently finalising a turnaround strategy for Mpumalanga and will report back within 3-months and considering the possibility of publicising granted rights – highlighting the lack of transparency