Mantashe Urges Mining Unions to Discuss Ways to Stop Coal Extinction

LOCAL NEWS

• Resource Minister Mantashe urges mining union NUM to discuss ways to save coal from extinction at the first day of a NUM conference in East London.
  • Mantashe said moving off coal at this moment was inadvisable and risks destroying the economy of Mpumalanga and other coal mining regions.
  • He stressed that this transition would be too complex for a smaller economy like SA to manage. This come ahead of the COP26 forum where a just transition solution is expected to be discussed for Eskom
• ANC Secretary General Jesse Duarte says the ANC is confident it will achieve victory in the Free State, despite major service delivery challenges.
  • Duarte assured voters that ineffective councillors would be removed from their posts should they fail to perform their duties.
• Deputy President Mabuza, however, highlighted concerns that ill-timed load-shedding would weigh on support for the ANC - SABC
  • Professor warns that the introduction of a basic income grant will reduce poverty and hunger, but won't lead to economic growth (a view shared by FinMin Godongwana).
  • Notes that in the medium-term, the only reliable revenue source for the grant would be personal income tax or VAT - or a combination of both